Understanding and Promises
by Shining Time Station
Summary: Shining Time Station story. Schemer finally gets a chance at the object of his affection, Stacy Jones, but things aren't as simple as they seem. This is their story.
1. Chapter 1

Understanding and Promises - Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Authoresses Note: Hey everyone! I know I promised a fanfiction to all of you. Well after a long wait, it's finally here. It's called Understanding and Promises, I'd give it a rating of about PG-13, and it features my favourite couple to ship, Schemer and Stacy. Without further ado, here it is. Please enjoy ;D Btw, this is only the first chapter. I'm not sure how many chapters I'll need but I'm trying to make each chapter longer so I can put out less. This story can also be found posted on Tidmouth forums. My penname is Schemerxstacy over there, there are plenty of other great fanfiction there as well, go check them out!

**Apr. 27th update: Revised chapter.**

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"My, my. For someone who claims that these events are below him, you sure do put a lot of effort into grooming yourself for them. Looking very dapper Uncle." Schemee said with a large smirk spread across his face. He was leaning in the doorway of his Uncle's bathroom, arms folded across his chest and the usual air of smugness radiating from him.

"It's all about appearances kid, don't you forget it." His Uncle, Horace Schemer, replied as he applied his after shave, wincing from the sting. He was wearing a black suit with white pinstripes, something relatively tame by his standards, with a plaid red dress shirt and matching tie.

"Sure, I'll keep that in mind. You know, I wouldn't mind going along to one of these things. I don't know why you complain so much, honestly. There are some mighty attractive women that work for the Indian Valley Railroad." He said with his smirk still as wide as ever.

"Attractive, yes. Interesting, no. Not the kind of girls you could just take out on a date to an arcade, far too high maintenance. Besides, that's part of the reason these things suck so much, there are so many boring people. And trust me, there are far more Midge Smooch kind of women at these things than attractive women. The only good thing about this event is that my friends are forced to go as well." He dried his face off and gave his appearance a once over. His sly, crooked grin spread across his features. "Perfect." He whispered as he twirled his trademark curl in his thumb and forefinger.

"So what you're saying is that it's all about appearances, but you're not interested in attracting any of the type of women who are attending? Am I missing something here?" Schemee asked, confusion registering on his face.

Schemer sighed and tried to hide the fact that Schemee had him beat. "Someday you'll understand Schemee. Now, are you ready to go to Dan's?" He asked, settling on an old cliche to avoid admitting that his nephew had a point. He was far to prideful to admit when he was wrong.

Schemee nodded, "My bag is in the car already." He said as he followed his Uncle out of his bedroom. "Sore loser." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Schemer asked from the front doorway.

"Nothing!" Schemee quickly called downstairs. He followed him out to the car and they were on their way.

The two drove in silence until Dan's house. Schemer pulled into the driveway and handed Schemee his bag. Schemee grabbed a hold of the handle, said a quick goodbye, and was about to exit the car when he almost stumbled. He looked up to see his Uncle still holding onto the bag, looking at him expectantly.

"Errr, did I miss something?" He asked confusedly.

Schemer shook his head, "No, I just can't let you step out of this car before you hear my parental-like speech."

Scheme rolled his eyes and was about to protest but Schemer had already launched into it.

"Be good, don't do anything stupid, no drinking or smoking and be polite to Dan's parents." He said, taking no breath in between.

Schemee nodded slowly and rolled his eyes again. "Okay, you got it. I've heard that one a few too many times to forget it anytime soon. Here's my obedient-like response: I will, I won't do either, and I will. Are we good now?" He asked irritably.

Schemer heaved a fake sigh and let go of the bag. "Yes, see you in the morning." Schemee nodded, stepped out the car and started walking toward the steps. Schemer waited in the driveway, making sure his nephew got in okay. As Schemee made his way up the porch, he turned around and walked back to the car. He stood in front of the driver's side window and waited for Schemer to roll down the glass. As the window opened Schemer looked up at him with a curious expression on his face.

Schemee sighed and spoke, "You know? I don't know why you still don't let me just spend the night at home. I'm almost sixteen now, I could just have Dan over for the night instead of you having his parents babysit me. I'm not a kid anymore." He said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. However, Schemer took notice to it anyways.

His expression hardened a bit. "Schemee, we've been through this. I just don't feel like you're responsible enough yet-" He was cut off by Schemee.

"But why? I've never done anything to make you doubt me!" Schemee whined.

"Last week you got caught trying to run a casino game out of your locker at school. If it wasn't for the fact that it was the last day of classes you may have been suspended." Schemer pointed out. "Nice job fitting a fold-out blackjack table in your locker by the way."

"Thanks." Schemee said with a sly grin.

Schemer seemed to catch himself though. "But you ever let me hear about you doing it again!" He said sternly.

"I won't," Schemee said audibly, "let you hear about it." He mumbled off.

"I'm serious, just try and keep your nose clean and I'll start considering, _considering_, letting you stay home alone." Schemer stressed.

"You know, I think that if I were your own kid you'd actually let me. Maybe, when I'm thirty you'll let me actually let me be home by myself." Schemee said lazily, running out of arguments.

"That's not true!" Schemer said, raising his voice slightly and taking the bait. He lowered his voice, forcing himself to calm down. "It's not that, we'll talk in the morning when I pick you up, okay?"

Schemee nodded in response and gave a quick goodbye before heading inside. Schemer rolled up his window quickly before the conversation could pick up once more. His nephew's accusations had really got to him. It wasn't that he didn't trust him for the fact that he wasn't his biological son. In fact, he had been Schemee's official guardian for over half of the sixteen year old's life. In a sense he had adopted him long before Schemee's mother, Schemer's older sister, had passed away and made Schemee an orphan. He just felt that he was still too young to be by himself. Not to mention, Schemee reminded Schemer a little too much of himself to fully trust him to not create some elaborate scheme while he was left to his own devices.

He hadn't realized he was speeding until he noticed he had reached Stacy's house much faster than expected. Since they were both going to the same place, Schemer had offered to drive her. Billy was already at the event, having had some earlier business to attend to in the same town. The event that Schemer was so uninterested in attending was the annual Indian Valley Staff summer party. This year it was being held in a reception hall in Chubby Corners. Schemer was about to knock on the door, leaning a little too far forward perhaps, just as Stacy Jones opened the door.

"I meant to do that." Came the muffled reply from his face-down form. Stacy giggled at him.

"Come on now Schemer, we don't want the other staff to think you're arriving already drunk." She said jokingly, helping him up off the ground. He dusted off his suit jacket. "My, don't you look dapper."

He shook his head in good humour, still pawing at his jacket and mentally making a note to tell Schemee how true his advice about appearances was. "Thanks, and wow!" He said as he finally raised his head, getting in a good look at her.

She was wearing a knee high, form fitting dress. It was red, the same shade that she wore at work, the one that suited her so well. The neckline was cut in a way that her neck and chest were exposed in both an attractive and classy way and capped sleeves held it up at her shoulders. She looked great, no, gorgeous and completely classy at the same time. Mentally, Schemer told himself, that he shouldn't be surprised, she always embodied both those traits.

"You don't like it?" She asked, her smile slipping a bit.

He shook his head, "No, no. It looks great, you look great! I was just taken a bit by surprise, that's all." He mentally hit himself. Did he just say'taken by surprise'? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Fortunately, she smiled fully once again. "Thanks Schemer", she said as they walked out to his car. He helped her into the passenger side before getting into his own side and starting their drive. As they started down her road he couldn't help but feel a bit flustered. Here she was, one of his best friends, sitting in his car and looking like a complete knock-out. They had known each other for so long, he shouldn't be this nervous. He already knew that she was beautiful, and that she had a smile that could give him butterflies, and made him want to... No, no. He had to stay in control. They were friends, nothing else. She made that clear with the whole Ned fiasco.

She turned to him, "So Schemer, you excited for this year's gathering?"

He snorted with humourless laughter. "Oh Jonesy, how many years have we been through this? I wouldn't bother going if ol'Kingy weren't offended by no-shows. He takes it way too personally, but if it means renewing my lease then I'll put up with it."

"Oh Schemer, what are we ever going to do with you?" She asked with a small smile on her face.

"Go out with me sometime?" Is what his brain told him to say. He squashed that thought quickly. What instead came out was, "I'd go anyway, even if my lease wasn't on the line. How could I deny them of my presence? I mean, it's not like they're lucky like you and Billy. They don't get to see me everyday at work."

She gave him a playful swat on the arm, "Oh yes, how could we ever live without you?"

"It would be a sad and lonely existence." That response earned him another smack.

"So how's Schemee doing? I hear from my sister that he's sleeping over at Dan's house tonight." She asked.

"Yeah, I figured it was best. That way I didn't have to worry and he could spend some time with his friend." He said, she nodded in agreement.

"Makes sense. They've become as close as brothers in these past few years. Funny how that happened. They never seemed to get along as kids." Stacy said, remembering the bicycle race incidence.

"Schemee matured a little, became less reclusive. I think he started craving the company after his mother died. That and the other kids were so supportive to him, despite his constant pranks. He warmed up to them." He said seriously.

"Does he ever talk about her to you?" She asked curiously. "I'm not trying to pry." She added quickly.

"No worries. And no, he doesn't really. I can tell he misses her at times, I miss her too. It's hard raising a kid but I care about him so it's worth it. He's been so rebellious lately though, and a bit hard to handle. Not that I mind having him around, quite the opposite. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining about him, honest. He's like a s-" He cut himself off quickly, suddenly feeling like he was rambling.

She saw right through it though, "Like a son to you?" She asked gently.

He nodded slowly. "But, it's like I can't talk to him. I can't just sit down and have a heart to heart with him, guys are... a bit different about those things, girls have an easier time talking. Besides, he doubts me so much. I don't think he thinks I trust or care about him all that much. I may not be the most mature guy around, but I've always done what I thought was best for him." He sighed. "I'm not good enough to be a guardian, I still feel like I haven't been as good as one as he deserves. And I've his for nearly ten years now."

He suddenly felt as scared and confused as he did ten years ago. He was only twenty two when he adopted his nephew, still new at Shining Time Station. He spoke softly, "I've given up a lot for him, and never had much time to do anything, like dating. And he still thinks that I don't consider him like my own kid."

His face flushed as he realized how much he had revealed, and kept his eyes on the road, not daring to meet Stacy's. She was the only one he could ever have a heart to heart with. He felt a soft hand place itself on one of his own and squeeze it gently. She left it there for the duration of the ride, neither spoke until they pulled into the parking lot ten minutes later. She removed her hand but spoke before he could exit.

"Schemer, I know Schemee loves you. He looks up to you so much, you have been the only male figure to remain in his life consistently. But don't think that we haven't noticed the change in you. You've both been good for each other. Raising a child is tough, and you've done a wonderful job. But at the same time, raising him has made you more mature. You understand what it's like to put others before yourself, it's made you a better friend and person in general. But at the same time you've kept your goofballish charm. You still know how to make people laugh and you know how to laugh at yourself. Don't worry about Schemee, he'll come around." She spoke sincerely and gently. He couldn't help but smile, his heart felt one hundred times lighter when he looked at her.

"Thanks Stacy, I hope you're right." In one daring moment he gently grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze, lightly stroking it with his thumb. They looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like ages, pure electricity seemed to fly off them at the moment. Still holding onto her hand, he absorbed all of her facial features. Her deep brown eyes were so soulful, so full of life. Her red lips glistened and they suddenly seemed to be coming closer. Simultaneously they both closed their eyes and leaned in-

A sharp knock on the window followed by a voice broke them out of their peace. "Hey guys! Are you going to sit in there forever? Oh, sorry..." But it was too late. They had already jumped apart, nearly to opposite sides of the car, their hearts racing in a mix of fright and exhilaration of what almost happened. Fumbling for their seat belts, they exited as quickly as possible to greet the third member of their trio, Billy Twofeathers.

"Hi Billy! Sorry, I better go register us with the front desk! See you inside!" Stacy managed to say as quickly as possible before hightailing it inside the building. Her cheeks were tinged pink and she seemed to be content with letting Schemer deal with Billy. Schemer rolled his eyes, waiting for the comments to start.

Billy clapped him on the back, "Sorry Schemer... I didn't mean to ruin your, um, moment that you were having." Schemer gave him a sidelong death glare.

"I don't know exactly _what_ you thought you saw, but just know that angles can play tricks on people's minds." He said grumpily.

"Sure... You were just about to pluck a stray eyelash from her cheek, were you now. Or inspect her makeup more closely. Isn't that right Schemer?" He asked playfully.

As a response, he got punched "playfully" on the shoulder.

"Ouch! Hey now Schemer, come back!" He yelled to his friend's retreating back. "I'll keep my mouth shut." He said as he caught up to Schemer, they walked into the building.

Schemer smirked. "Good, now let's get this over with." They approached Stacy, who seemed to have composed herself. The three entered as the complete staff of Shining Time Station. The hall was packed with staff from all the Branches, Stations and Offices.

"Well if it isn't my Shining Group! Geddit, Shining? Like Shining Time Station!" A voice yelled jovially as they walked through the door leading to the hall.

Stacy was the first to recover from the shock. No matter how many times it happened at Staff parties, no one seemed to be able to get used to a drunken J.B. King.

"Good evening , how are things going so far?" She asked politely.

"Marvellous! Go mingle, have a drink, it's a party and it's all on me!" He cheered and walked off to greet the next group.

They stood silently blinking in the direction of his departure. This time, Schemer was the first to break the silence. "Well... Now we know why he gets so drunk." The other two looked at him.

"It's the only way he can bring himself to pay for these shindigs. There's no way he can justify it when he's sober." He explained.

The other two laughed at the truth in his statement. "Well, we might as well enjoy ourselves while we're here. Who wants to get a drink?" Billy asked.

"I'll just have a coke, thanks. Hang on, I'm just going to have a quick word with the arcade owner in Snarlyville. I'll meet you guys there." Schemer said.

"Don't worry about it, we'll come find you and bring it to you." Stacy told him as she and Billy walked off to the bar.

Schemer started making his way over to his fellow arcade owner when he was intercepted by a small blonde. She must've been about twenty five or so. Her hair was shoulder length and a very light shade. Her eyes were brown and almond shaped. She had pretty features and a petite frame. He thought that she had just accidentally bumped into him and was about to brush past her with an 'excuse me' but she started speaking to him.

"Hi, sorry to cut you off like that! It's just that I recognized you from last year, my first year going to this kind of thing, and felt bad that I hadn't introduced myself before. I'm Michelle." She stuck her hand out and he shook it in a somewhat stunned way. She tone wasn't all that inviting, she made it sound like she had done him a disservice by not introducing herself a year ago.

"Err, hi. I'm Schemer." He awkwardly introduced himself.

"Schemer?" She asked confusedly. "That's your name?"

He felt his feathers ruffle slightly. A little coldly he responded, "Yes, that's my name."

She seemed to feel that he hadn't warmed up to him. "Sorry," she added quickly and unsincerely, "It's just not a name I've ever heard before. What branch are you from?" She asked.

"Shining Time Station, you?"

"Snarlyville." How fitting, he thought to himself.

He was saved from the conversation for a moment as Billy showed up. "Here's your drink Schemer, who's your friend?" He asked.

"Michelle," she answered for him and stuck out her hand for Billy to shake, "Who're you?"

"Billy Twofeathers, I work with Schemer." He replied.

Schemer turned to him, "Hey, where's Stacy?"

"She's talking to someone at the bar." Billy said simply. Schemer turned in the direction of the bar to see her talking to a handsome man. He was dressed in a black suit with a white dress shirt, no tie and unbuttoned at the top. He had dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Schemer immediately decided he didn't like him, he was leaning against the bar in a casual stance. He looked like a jerk, too smug and self-centered for his own good.

His mental voice spoke up, "Just like you...". He turned back towards Michelle while Billy looked slightly apologetic. At that moment Billy was called over by a group of fellow engineers.

"Sorry guys, I've got to go mingle. Nice meeting you." He said before heading off.

"So, does everyone at Shining Time have interesting names?" She asked him.

Not too sure how to answer that he could only reply with "Ummm...". That and he was trying to watch Stacy and the stranger from the corner of his vision.

"Anyways, want to go dance?" She asked him boldly, ignoring his lack of responses. He looked towards the dance floor, it was closer to Stacy's position and would give him a better way to keep an eye out.

"Sure, let's go." He said and she smiled. He noticed that it contained none of Stacy's warmth.

"Great!" She said, and dragged him by the hand towards the dance floor. They started dancing and while Schemer was trying to keep it as modest as possible, it was a staff party after all, Michelle persisted in subtly rubbing up against him and dancing in a way he assumed she thought was sexy. He didn't take much of an interest and continued to try and keep her at arm's length. What was she doing? Trying to seduce him and go home with him? Not a chance, she had put him off much early than the dance floor. Besides, he only had eyes for one person at the moment.

He looked back to the bar while Michelle tried to give his thigh a frisk. Stacy had since moved on from the jerk at the bar, who was standing by himself trying to chat up a new girl. He turned his head and saw her flitting around the dance floor, viewing him from the corner of her eye. She started dancing and slowly moved closer to the pair. Schemer grinned, now who's watching who. Michelle took this as a cue to press herself forward against him and wrap her arms around his neck. He could see Stacy move a tad closer, looking slightly disgusted. He sincerely hoped she didn't doubt his intentions.

"So what're you drinking anyways?" Michelle asked.

"Um, just a coke." He said as he tried to loosen her grip and move her body away.

"Really? No alcohol then. What, don't you drink?" She questioned. He was stunned by the bluntness of her question. He suddenly felt quite cramped with her clinging off him. He wanted to get away from her. Before he could gently tell her that the dance was over. She blew him down with another question.

"So, tell me, you're not just making it look like you're drinking alcohol so that you can take home some poor innocent drunk girl like me, are you?" She looked up at him with pouted lips, and clung tighter to him, once again pressing her body close. He suddenly felt a rush of disgust and grabbed her hands from his neck.

"I think this dance is over." He said firmly and was about to turn around when she grabbed his wrist.

"Oh come on, lighten up! It was just a joke. Don't leave yet, we've still got time to have some more fun." He was about to tell her that he seriously wasn't interested, but just then someone else saved him the trouble.

"He said that the dance was over, it's over sweetheart." Stacy was suddenly beside him, looking furious.

Michelle sneered, "Who's this?"

"A friend," Oh that scathing word, Schemer thought, "Who happens to be accompanying Schemer as his date."

Wait, what? Schemer did a double take between them.

Michelle glowered at him, "Maybe next time you ask a girl to dance you should let her know that you're not actually interested." She snarled, suddenly looking quite ugly, before turning to leave.

"I didn't know how to make it more clear that I wasn't interested..." He started to say but was cut off by a sharp glare from Stacy. Michelle stomped off into the crowd.

"She's right you know, you didn't have to dance with her."

He sighed, "Look, I only did it so I could get a better view of you." He placed one hand on the back of his neck. Her gaze didn't change. "He looked like a jerk, I was just trying to look out for you. Honest." He tried to get as much sincerity across as he could.

She softened a bit, "He was a jerk." She said gently, "But maybe you should just trust me instead of trying to make me jealous with floozy's." She poked him, half-jokingly.

"Hey now, maybe you should just trust me not to be seduced by floozy's." He said with a joking grin. Happily he saw that she grinned back. "It's a slow song, want to dance?" He asked suddenly.

She nodded and gently placed her hands around his neck. He smiled warmly and placed his hands on her waist, her hands were a welcome change to the vice grip he was previously in. They danced slowly with the other couple's. But they weren't actually a couple, just friends dancing he thought disappointingly.

"Hey, thanks for stepping in back there." He said softly, looking down into her eyes. "I was a bit too shocked at what she said to react."

"Anytime. The comment about the drink?" She questioned.

He looked away before she could see how deeply it bothered him. "Yes, that one."

"It was a pretty disgusting thing to imply." She said with a scowl. "But Schemer, you know better than to be offended by something like that."

"I know, it's just...personal. You know that I don't drink."

"Yes, I know."

"But it's not something I do for the reason she suggested. I would never do something so low. I'd never take advantage of someone in that state. I have my reasons for not doing it, but it's certainly not for that reason." He explained.

She pressed her hand to his cheek. "Schemer, I know. And don't worry, if you need to talk to me about it some more, you can talk to me anytime. I'll just listen, help provide a bit of therapy between friends." She said with a smile and placed her hand on one of his cheeks.

He smiled back and placed his hand over hers, subconsciously grazing the scar on the side of his head. The ugly scar that he hated so much. The one he hid with his curl. His curl was his mask to the outside world. It hid his fears and insecurities and made him feel much stronger than he actually was. His face fell slightly as he remembered how it came to be.

The song stopped and Stacy looked up at him worriedly. "Schemer, what's wrong?" He looked away from her.

"It's nothing, it's okay". He said quickly, "I think I just need some air." He turned abruptly and walked out of the building, leaving Stacy behind and watching his retreating back.

He walked around the side of the building, shivering in the chilly night air. Memories flooded past his eyelids as he jammed his eyes shut.

"I'll put down the bottle when I'm ready Mary!" Jasper Schemer yelled at his wife, bottle of Jack Daniels clutched in his fist. Undeterred and fighting back tears she made an attempt to wrestle it from her drunk husband's grasp. In his drunken state he backhanded her across the face.

"HEY! You leave her alone!" A lanky and skinny teenager with dark hair and eyes yelled as he launched himself at his much stronger father.

The father took a swing at his attacking son, forgetting the glass bottle in his hand...

A sickening crunch and the smash of the bottle were followed by Mary's screams. The boy crashed to the floor, bleeding profusely from the right side of his skull. She clutched him in her arms as realization struck the father. Mary clutched her youngest child and only son to her chest. Jasper stepped back, his drunken rage dissipating at the sight of the blood he had drawn. He had gone too far, and he knew this despite the years of abusive he had inflicted on his family. Mary called an ambulance and tried to staunch the bleeding. Her son, Horace, had since fallen unconscious.

Mary had left in the ambulance with her son. At the hospital he received fourteen stitches for the wound on his head. Doctors told him that hair would never grow in the spot again, but he could still grow out hair surrounding the wound. His eyesight was seriously affected in his right eye, and he had glasses but refused to wear them most of the time out of pride. He lost his spot on the high school baseball team, just when he was looking promising as a star player in later grades. He never took a single sip of alcohol. He took his surname as his given name, to remind him always of what never to be as a father or person.

Schemer.

He was broken out of his thoughts abruptly by someone calling his name. He turned to see Stacy rounding the corner. She approached him worriedly and her big brown eyes were wide with concern. He stood up straight to meet her, he was going to tell her what was weighing on his mind but she seemed to know already. She always knew what was bothering him. She placed her hands on either side of his head and rubbed his scar with her left hand. The gentle massage felt good and he felt embarrassed for leaving her.

"I'm sorry for leaving, I just felt a little suffocated." He admitted.

"You don't have to be sorry, and I know you have had a traumatic past. I remember when you told me, I was so shocked, but it just makes it so amazing when I think about what a fun loving and easy going person you are." She said with a smile.

He smiled sadly back, "I just hope that you never see me the way I saw him." He said seriously.

"That could never happen." She replied, sounding just as serious. "You know that, you would never have it in you to hurt anybody the way he hurt you. Not me, not Schemee, and none of your other friends. You're too good of a person. And despite that clever mask you wear, I can see right through you. Take my word for it, you are not and could never be your father."

"Thanks, that means a lot to me. And I'm sorry for escaping and taking so much time out of the evening. And now it's getting late and the party is just about wrapping up, we should get you home. You could've been in there having a good time and instead you came out here with me." He looked guilty.

She shook her head. "Now how could I have a good time knowing my date was in pain." She said gently.

He lifted his head an managed to look her in the eyes. "You mean, that wasn't just an excuse to save me from her?" He asked.

Stacy smiled and shook her head. "Schemer, you forget what happened almost happened in the car earlier. I somehow think that this became a date."

He smiled but then frowned. "Then I'm a pretty lousy date-" He was cut off as Stacy used her hands on either side of his face to pull him close and covered his lips with hers. At first shocked, he eventually eased into it. Grabbing her shoulders and pulling her close. They sat there for sometime, kissing each other with unrestrained passion. Eventually they broke apart and Schemer checked his watch.

"We should get going, it's getting too late and I don't want to keep you out in the cold." He said as he helped her to her feet and led her to the car. They got in together and sat there unmoving.

"So..." He started to say, not yet reaching for his keys.

"Yeah... We should get out of the cold, go find some shelter." She said.

"Yup, shelter is good." He agreed, and was about to lean in for another kiss. She stopped him with one finger to his lips.

"Why don't we go to your place?" She suggested.

There was a brief moment where Schemer sat unmoving, one of Stacy's fingers still on his lips. All of the sudden he had whipped out his keys and started the car faster than Stacy had ever seen him.

"That sounds like a good idea." He said and the car roared out of the parking lot.

Once they reached his house they were already kissing passionately before even getting inside the front door. Schemer tried his best to unlock the door with one hand, his other hand wrapped securely around Stacy's waist, pulling her into a tight embrace as he planted kisses all over the skin exposed by her dress. He finally managed to open the door, at which point he figured it was easier to just carry her.

Without warning her swung his arms under her and swiftly picked her up. He didn't let go until the reached his bedroom, shutting the door with one of his back legs.


	2. Chapter 2

Understanding and Promises: Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I don't own Shining Time Station.

Authoresses Note: Here's chapter two. As always you can view it on Tidmouth Forums as well. Enjoy!

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Stacy woke up the next morning and looked around with slight uncertainty. She was alone but in a room that was not her own. As she looked around and became increasingly awake, her memories of the previous night dawned on her. As she got up she noticed a robe had been laid out for her at the foot of the bed. Donning the robe, she made her way downstairs to try and find the other occupant of the house.

Following a source of noise, she was eventually led to the kitchen where she did indeed end up finding the other occupant. Schemer had his back to her when she walked in. He was busying himself over the stove top, making what she assumed to be breakfast. Unlike her, he was fully dressed and ready. He must've gotten up early and taken care not to wake her.

"Who knew you could be such an early bird?" She asked from the doorway.

He turned around, startled, at the sound of her voice. "Morning Stacy. Sorry, I didn't hear you come down." He turned around briefly to grab two plates from the counter. "Did you want to sit down? Breakfast is ready." He said as he presented one in front of her.

Thanking him, they sat down and began to eat. They could both feel a sort of awkward tension between then as they ate, which settled into an uncomfortable silence. It wasn't until they were nearly done that Schemer finally cleared his throat and began to speak.

"So... Did you want to talk about it?" He ventured awkwardly. Not the greatest conversation starter.

She placed her fork down and wiped her mouth on a napkin. "I think we should talk about what happens next." She suggested.

He blushed, "Yeah, that's what I meant." Giving a nervous version of his trademark laugh. "So where do we go from here?"

She didn't answer for awhile, finally she came up with a response. "It... depends." She said vaguely.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking puzzled.

"Well, it depends if this is a one time thing that is never going to happen again. You know, something unspoken that we never acknowledge aloud because it never meant anything. Or if this is... something else." She said, looking away and not reaching his eyes.

Schemer looked a little confused. "If it didn't mean anything to you, why would you allow it to happen?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

"It did mean something to me!" She said, startled from his question. "I just wasn't sure if it meant something to you as well..." She trailed off.

He reached forward and put his hand on hers. "Stacy, I don't want you to think that I think it didn't mean something. I would never want it to be meaningless." He said sincerely.

She looked up to meet his gaze, his warm eyes were pleading with her, she felt herself be moved by him.

"I know Schemer. It's just that... It makes things complicated." She tried to explain. "I guess I'm just afraid, we went through so much before now. I mean, we were... are such good friends. Aren't you worried about all that being ruined?" She asked worriedly.

"Do you think that you could just go into work tomorrow, play it off like nothing happened, and be okay with that?" He asked her abruptly.

She was a little shocked by his forwardness, but he realized how true it was. "No." She said honestly.

He smiled. "Neither could I. I want, if you're willing, to try and go for the 'something else'."

She looked away, feeling uncertain. Yes it was true, she felt something. Last night is when she finally acted on her growing feelings for him. But still, there were risks to what they were potentially getting themselves into. She looked back to him, feeling like she wasn't brave enough to say yes. Feeling like ignoring everything and just letting it go. But then she just looked at him, simply looked at him. He may not have been the most handsome man in the world, though he wasn't bad looking either. He had a sort of charm that made people forgive his mishaps. He made her laugh and smile when she became grumpy at work. And despite their rivalries in the past, he had always been in her corner when things looked down. His best qualities were shining through and she couldn't help how she felt about him.

"I... I want to be 'something else'." She admitted. He smiled happily and was about to lean forward to kiss her, but found her finger blocked his path. She laid one index finger in front of his lips. "But first, there are some things that I have to say." He leaned back and nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"First of all, I can't guarantee what this 'something else' will be. Only time will tell that for sure. And secondly, and most importantly, we have to take it slow." She said, looking deep within his eyes. "Very slow." She added for emphasis.

He smiled his trademark crooked grin, but a slightly softer version. "I promise." He said and lightly pressed his hand over hers.

She smiled softly back. "I'm glad." She said.

"I need something from you too though." He said quietly. "I need you to let me know if things are changing. If you don't feel the same anymore, I want you to tell me right away. I've waited a very long time to be this close to you, I'm sure you've noticed my feelings at some points, and I couldn't stand it if we fell apart in some big blow up. We've been through too much, and I'll always need your friendship."

"Yes, I can promise you that. And to be honest I have noticed your feelings, not all the time but definitely a few times. But I'll admit it was sometimes hard to tell with you, and I just really wasn't looking for a relationship with anybody at that point." She confessed.

"I understand, I probably wasn't ready at that point anyways. I'm not sure I was mature enough for starters." He said, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.

"It doesn't matter now anyways." She said with a gentle smile. "Now let's organize this place before we have to leave."

They cleaned up the kitchen, side by side, until Stacy went upstairs to get dressed. Both weren't scheduled to be at the station until noon, but Stacy wanted to get home and get ready and Schemer still had to pick up his nephew. The ride back to Stacy's was considerably silent, each was deep in thought about what had happened. And more importantly, what would happen. Schemer pulled up to Stacy's driveway and parked, he turned to her before she could exit.

"Hey Jonesy. I know you're worried, but please, just don't be. Heck, I'm worried too but my Mommy always used to say that things happen for a reason." He said with a small smile.

Smiling back, she replied, "I know, and I'll try. I'm still just in a bit of shock, everything happened so suddenly."

He placed one hand on the back of her neck and surprised her by not pulling her in for a kiss. Instead he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. "I'll take it as slow as you need, heck, we need." He let go and she began to exit the car. She turned back to say goodbye before she shut the door. As Schemer watched her, he couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. Standing in the run with a light breeze blowing through her soft, brown curls.

"Thank you Schemer, for everything." She said sincerely. "I'll see you at the station in a few hours." He his response was a slow nod, with a smile on his face, as she shut the door.

"In a few hours then." He whispered before pulling out of her driveway and driving towards Dan's house.

* * *

"So when are we going to be allowed to have your house for the night Schemee? The old farmhouse and property would be cool to explore at night." Kara said from her perch on the couch arm. The group of four, Kara, Schemee, Dan and Becky, were spending some time together in Dan's basement. The girls had come over the morning after Schemee and Dan's sleepover.

Schemee shrugged nonchalantly, "Hopefully soon. I don't see why we wouldn't be allowed to just hang out there for a night when he wasn't there. I mean, it's fine when we hang out and he is there and all. But it'd be cool to have a night where we could all stay up late at my house."

Becky nodded. "It's not like it would get out of hand. It'd just be the four of us, right?"

Schemee, again, shrugged. "Yeah... Unless we invited just a few friends from school. What's the worse that could happen?"

"I don't know," Dan said nervously, "Things can get out of hand."

Schemee snorted. "Hah, I don't think it's anything I can't handle." He said in a cocky way. "Besides, I have this great idea for a casino night. We could use plastic chips and have people buy into a few games, maybe Poker and Blackjack. The winner would receive an amount and I'd keep the rest!" He exclaimed Kara looked at Becky and rolled her eyes.

"Please don't get in trouble again Schemee!" Becky pleaded. "You know that underage gambling is illegal and besides, your Uncle would never allow it. Not for teenagers anyways... Maybe don't give him any ideas."

Kara was not so gentle and challenged him immediately. "Okay big shot, next time you have the house to yourself, if that ever happens, invite a few people over. Plan something, anything." Kara dared.

Schemee scoffed, "I'll do one better Cupper. The next time my uncle is out for the night, and I will have the house to myself, I'll throw a party!" He said challengingly.

Becky's hands flew to her mouth. "Schemee... You wouldn't?" She said pleadingly.

He folded his arms across his chest. "I would, and I will. Besides, I could probably charge a cover..." He looked away thoughtfully, Becky smacked her forehead with her palm.

Dan shook his head, "Come on Schemee, you don't have to prove anything." He tried reasoning with his best friend.

But his words were lost on Schemee, who was currently staring into space and coming up with more money-making schemes. Kara was looking at him with undisguised smugness. Becky looked as worried as Dan felt. Becky and Dan met each other's eyes, Dan just shrugged as a way of suggesting that he didn't have any ideas. "Hey Schemee, are you going to the Station with your Uncle today?" He asked as a way of breaking him out of his reverie.

Schemee finally broke out of his daydreams, "I wasn't planning on it, I'm not working for my Uncle at the Arcade today."

Well we're heading out now, Becky and I were planning on visiting Stacy, would you two like to come?

"I would go but I have to work later, sorry guys." Kara said.

Schemee shrugged, "Eh, sure, why not?"

Dan inwardly sighed with relief, maybe they could distract Schemee enough. Or talk some sense into him. It was easier for him and Becky to be the voices of reason when either Kara or Schemee were separate. They were all good friends but the other two seemed to be equally hotheaded, and when they fought or disagreed someone needed to step in. At least now he and Becky could race to the station and get involved.

"Schemee! Your Uncle is here!" Dan's mother, and Stacy's sister, called from the top of the stairs.

"That's my ride, I'll see meet you two at the station. Have fun at work Kara!." He said as he raced up the stairs. After thanking Dan's mother he made his way out to the car where his Uncle was waiting.

For the second time in one morning Schemer sat through a silent car ride. He cleared his throat and tried to make some sort of conversation.

"So how was your night?"

"Oh it was alright." He said nonchalantly. Schemee was staring out the window, seemingly deep in thought.

"I know you're upset... or, or disappointed, but I'll make it up to you." Schemer said, thinking his nephew's disinterest was directed at him.

"You'll let me stay alone overnight by myself?" Schemee asked, turning his head with interest.

"Erm, we'll see about that one." Schemer replied. Schemee turned his head back to the window. Schemer looked disappointedly back to the road. He desperately wanted his nephew to be okay with the situation.

"Look, I know you may not understand. And you may think I'm being unreasonable. But I have my reasons. I'm not doing it to spite you, or make you mad. I'm just doing the best I can." Schemer admitted.

Schemee felt a brief pang of guilt, but his disappointment still swallowed it up. "I know, but... I'm not a kid anymore. I don't need constant supervision." He said, with a slight disappointment.

Schemer nodded. "No, you're not a kid." He agreed, at which point Schemee looked up. "And I'll think about certain things. But I'm not making any promises. If you can prove to me that you're mature enough to be left alone, then I will allow you to stay alone at the house."

"With friends over?" Schemee asked excitedly.

"Let's not get ambitious." Schemer said with a smirk. He had pulled into his own driveway and exited the car before Schemee could protest.

* * *

As noon arrived at Shining Time Station, both the staff and patrons had their hands full. The arcade was bustling, Stacy had her hands full with people buying tickets, and Billy was busying himself with a broken down engine.

Mr. Conductor sat with the teens in a far corner. It was so busy that he went unnoticed and his body was blocked by theirs from most angles anyways.

"Schemee, I know you and Kara have this...friendly rivalry, but the best thing to do would be to not let it break your Uncle's trust." He said solemnly.

Schemee gave a sharp gaze at Dan and Becky, who looked away innocently. He was a little annoyed that they spoke to Mr. Conductor behind his back. He turned back to their much smaller friend.

"But Mr. C," he argued gently, "He doesn't trust me anyways."

Mr. Conductor scoffed, "Nonsense. Schemee, let me ask you something. If your Uncle didn't trust you, would he put you in charge of his arcade when he's not around? In charge of all those nickels?"

Schemee looked at his Uncle, who was currently counting out what he had made in the past fifteen minutes in nickels. He turned back, "Probably not." He said finally.

"Your Uncle loves you very much. And would probably trust you with his life. But he is an adult, and although he sometimes doesn't act like one, he does know what's best for you."

Schemee shrugged. "I guess you're right." He suddenly felt guilt wash over him. "I'm, uh, going to help my Uncle in the arcade. I'll you guys later. Thanks Mr. C." He said as he walked over to the arcade.

"Thanks ." Dan said with a smile.

"No thanks necessary Dan, I just hope I got through to him." He admitted.

"I hope so too Mr. C." Becky agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the arcade...

"Hey." Schemee greeted his Uncle quietly. "Did you need any help?"

Schemer had just finished counting, "No thanks, I'm actually good for now. Why aren't you with your friends?" He asked with some concern.

"Oh, they're just talking to...another friend. I'll see them a bit later. I figured I'd stay around here if that's alright." He cursed himself mentally for almost blowing Mr. Conductor's cover.

Schemer smiled, "Sure Schemee, stay as long as you like."

The two worked in a comfortable silence, occasionally exchanging jokes or playful barbs. Schemee took a quick peek into the picture machine and as Schemer looked at him he could only see him as a curious, yet lonely, six year old looking into the ancient arcade machine for some form of entertainment.

He was suddenly hit with a wave of nostalgia and found himself remembering a particular day, a day ten years ago...

I_t had started out as a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky, perfect weather, warm but with a slight breeze. Schemer was twenty three, still relatively new to Shining Time Station, but after it reopened who wasn't? Everything started out normally that day. He came in to work, cleaned the machines, started them up for the day, and hoped that the good weather would bring in plenty of people to spend their money on his arcade._

_Between trains, when less people wandered into the station, Schemer would talk to either Stacy Jones or Billy Twofeathers. Rather, he'd get into minor arguments with them or make jokes at their expense. Nonetheless, they were all starting to get closer to each other, friendlier. Quite a bit more than what they were._

_"Schemer, you'd think that you were a teenager with the way you act." Stacy said to him with irritation crawling into her voice._

_"Nah, I'm a mature adult , don't you forget it." He gave his crooked grin and laughed his trademark laugh._

_She rolled her eyes. "Please Schemer, I have lots of work to do." She turned back to her work. Normally she would put up with his antics good-naturedly but today she was in no mood to deal with him._

_"Fine Jonesy, go back to your work then." He said before turning away indignantly and subsequently tripping over his own feet._

_"Schemer, why can't you just be serious for once?" She hissed as he fell to the floor with a large thud._

_He picked himself up, "I meant to do that." He said. "And I am serious!" He argued back._

_Harry Cupper watched from his doorway quietly. "Schemer, I think Stacy is right on this one. You could do with being more serious." He checked his watch. "Now, am I okay to leave you two alone? I have to get back out to my engine." He said before sweeping past them both._

_Stacy shook her head irritably and put her head down to work. Schemer turned back to his arcade and they continued to ignore each other for the better part of the day. Stacy approached the arcade a little bit later._

_"Schemer," she started hesitantly. But he cut her off, "Oh, coming back to apologize . Seen the error of your ways?" He asked._

_"Schemer." She tried again, in vain._

_"Well it won't work. My feelings are hurt." He folded his arms across his chest and looked away._

_"Schemer!"_

_"Geez Stacy, you don't have to yell." He said indignantly._

_As he looked at her face however, his expression went from indignant to worried. She was standing in front of him, wearing a peculiar expression on her face. "What's wrong?" He asked slowly._

_"Schemer... The phone, it's for you." She started but paused._

_"Oh? Who is it?" He asked, feeling more and more uncomfortable._

_"It's the Snarlyville Police Department." She finally spoke up. "It's about your sister." She looked up at him with large brown eyes, full of concern._

_He felt his heart skip a beat and the colour rush from his face. Leaping for the phone closest to the arcade, he shakingly said, "Horace Schemer here."_

_Stacy watched him as he listened intently to the other end. He was leaning against the wall and had one hand touching his face. His posture was anything but relaxed, and he looked like he was going to fall over from shock. He finally hung up the phone after ending the conversation with a brief 'I'll be right there'. He started walking away from his arcade, brushing past Stacy quickly._

_"Schemer, wait!" She called after him. His long legs had already carried him halfway out the door._

_"I...I can't wait." He said with an expression containing a mixture of shock and sorrow, and his face was pale. "I've got to...I've got to go take care of some things. I'm sorry." He started walking towards his car but Stacy followed him again._

_"I'm sorry, I truly am." She said sincerely, a tear falling down her cheek. He was halfway into his car. He was about to respond but found he couldn't find his voice at that moment. Instead he gave her a small, sad smile and nodded. She watched as he sped off towards Snarlyville and brushed away the tears that were falling from her eyes._

_He drove as fast as he could without being dangerous. He was supposed to go to the police department first and then wherever it was that she was being kept. But he had to make one stop first. He screeched to a halt in front of his sister's apartment building and rushed up the stairs. He knocked on her door, wishing that she would answer and this was all just some big, terrible joke. Instead a female social worker and a police officer answered the door._

_"I'm sorry sir but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She started but he cut her off._

_"I'm the boy's Godfather, and Uncle. His mother made me his legal guardian in the event something happened to her." He explained pleadingly._

_She checked her records. "What's your name?" She asked._

_"Horace Schemer. Here's my I.D." He said, passing it to her. She checked over it._

_"He checks out." She said to the officer, and allowed him to enter the apartment._

_"Where is he?" He asked worriedly._

_"In his room. It's probably for the best that you're here. He hasn't said a word since we told him." She said. "You'll have to sort of some legal documents to become his official guardian, but it won't be hard. You're his unofficial guardian until then and we can leave him in your care."_

_The officer turned to him. "You can sort that out down at the station, you haven't been there yet right?"_

_Schemer shook his head no._

_"Well, we'll meet you down there. You won't have to do any identifications, one of her friends already confirmed it at the scene." He informed Schemer, who breathed a mental sigh of relief yet still felt very grim._

_"Thanks, and yeah, I'll meet you down there." He said as they exited. Schemer turned to his nephew's room. He walked up the closed door. Hesitating for a minute he grabbed the doorknob and let himself in._

_His nephew was sitting on the edge of his bed. Small legs dangling over the side, hands folded in his lap and head gazing down, not bothering to look up and see who walked in. It was only after Schemer sat down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder that he looked up. The tearstained face of his nephew looked up at him for a moment before he clutched his suit jacket fiercely. The sight of his Uncle, the one consistent male influence in his life, was the most comfort he'd felt all day. He buried his face into one of his Uncle's shoulders and clung tightly to his neck._

_Schemee squeezed his eyes shut, willing the tears to stop falling. "They said she's gone Uncle Schemer." He whimpered._

_Schemer wrapped his arms around him. "I know." He whispered gently. They sat like that for a long time until Schemee had cried himself to sleep in his Uncle's arms. Schemer drove down to the Police Department to sort out the details. Suddenly, the sleeping child in the passenger seat beside him was his responsibility. He felt infinitely older than twenty three as he drove back to his house. He'd have to arrange for the funeral and all the boy's things to arrive at his house. It was going to be a very busy week._

_Still, as he placed his worn out nephew into his guest bedroom, he realized how much he would have to sacrifice. The bachelor's life was relatively simple but having a child complicated things infinitely. He didn't care though. He made a promise to Schemee when he was born, when he first held him in his arms in the hospital, that he would always be there for him. He wasn't about to go back on that promise and he cared about his nephew too much to leave him alone._

_He ran his hand over the boy's head before exiting the room and heading to his own room. "I promise I'll always look after you, I won't ever let anything bad happen to you." He whispered into the room before he left._

Schemer was shocked out of his reverie. It was like waking up from a dream, the memory was so clear. Meanwhile, Schemee was lost in his own memory.

He was thinking about the day he met Mr. Conductor. Though that memory largely contained his Uncle as well. Schemee was six at the time, one year since his mother's death. He was pleading with his Uncle in Shining Time Station.

_"I want to go with you Uncle!" He cried out._

_"No Schemee, I have to go pick up this new machine today and it would just be easier if I went and came back as fast as possible. Now, Stacy has graciously said she would watch you and you don't want to make her change your mind do you?" He asked with eyebrows raised._

_Schemee huffed. "No Uncle Schemer." He said, defeated. Schemer smiled at Stacy before he left. "I'll be back in two hours." He said with a wave. Stacy smiled and waved back as he left._

_"Now Schemee, your Uncle left me some nickels for you to use in the arcade. You can busy your self there or I can find something else for you to do." She said with a bright smile. Schemee couldn't help but smile back._

_"Sure." He said quietly._

_Now, Schemer's pick up went smoothly. The machine was loaded into the back of his car and he began his drive back to Shining Time Station. One thing to note is that it had begun to rain gently on his drive to pick up the machine. However, on the way back it was positively storming. He was struggling to see the road and could feel the hydroplaning of the car's tires along the wet road. Schemer was a good driver, excellent in fact from experience in a past job, and wasn't having too much difficulty driving. He was just traveling much slower than usual._

_Back at the station, however, Schemee was beginning to get worried. "He said he would be here in two hours! It's been two and half!" He said in a panicked voice._

_Stacy smiled but deep down she was starting to get a little bit worried too. "I'm sure your Uncle is fine. Schemer has gotten himself out of bigger messes before." She said tried to reassure him._

_He nodded glumly and went to go sit on a waiting bench. He brought his knees up to his chest and folded his arms around them._

_Meanwhile, Schemer was continuing to drive at slow speeds. He could see a hill up ahead and knew he'd have to ride his brake all the way down it. With sweat beading on his forehead he pumped the brake with his foot to simultaneously avoid hydroplaning and going too fast. It was working, but what he couldn't see was the set of train tracks at the bottom of the hill. Or the train traveling along them. He didn't see it until the train was crossing about twenty meters in front of him. In that split second he knew he'd have to make a very quick decision. Neither looked particularly appealing but he went with the one that seemed less fatal._

_He removed his foot from the brake and swerved to the right, and then braking sharply again. He avoided hitting a moving train but instead crashed headlong into a tree on the side of the road. His front end was wrapped around it's thick trunk and his head rested on the steering wheel. As he slipped in and out of consciousness all he could think of was the nephew who needed him. His airbag hadn't deployed and as such the blow wasn't absorbed. His head was bleeding slightly and he finally lost consciousness._

_At Shining Time Station, about fifteen minutes later, Stacy received a phone call from the main switchboard. She hung up worriedly and looked at the boy who was quietly staring at the floor. A train conductor had reported a car had crashed into a tree beside the tracks to avoid hitting him. Paramedics were trying to get to the car but were having trouble locating it as the train couldn't tell exactly what junction it crossed due to the storm._

_Should she tell him? She didn't know if she could bring up mentioning the possibility that Schemer might be injured... or worse. Schemer was three hours late now. He would've been here otherwise. She looked up once more to see Schemee staring intently at her._

_"Was that my Uncle?" He asked worriedly._

_She hesitated. "No." She said, shaking her head._

_"Was it about him?" He asked, panic rising in his voice._

_Again, hesitating. "I'm not sure." She stammered. _

_"Is he... Is he hurt?" He asked, praying that nothing that happened._

_"I'm not sure. There's... there's been a car crash near a set of tracks. They don't know until they can reach the car." She explained worriedly. "But it might not be him, please don't worry Schemee!" _

_Schemee started near-hyperventilating. Stacy rushed to his side and pulled him close to attempt to calm him down. He seemed near panic-attack. All he could think of was his Uncle, right now his only family member on the planet who cared about him. The only one alive really, at least he hoped._

_"Shhh, Schemee. Calm down. All we can do is wait." She said gently._

_"I can't...I can't lose another parent to a car crash. Or at all." He gasped, trying to control himself._

_Schemer would be touched, Stacy thought, that Schemee considered him a parent._

_"I can help." A gentle voice said, followed by a sound that resembled a train whistle. Schemee gasped in shock at the twelve inch man standing on the bench beside him._

_"Schemee, this is Mr. Conductor." Stacy explained. "He lives at the station. Now, Mr. Conductor, can you really help find Schemer?" She asked._

_He nodded solemnly. "I know the roads well. I just got back from Sodor in time, I know I can get to him before the ambulance. Wish me luck." He said before disappearing in a cloud of gold dust._

_As Stacy continued to comfort Schemee, Mr. Conductor had already found Schemer's car. He went up to it, relieved to find that he was indeed still alive. However, he was unconscious, most likely had a concussion and was getting colder by the second. He needed those paramedics to arrive. thought for a moment before disappearing to find them._

_He searched as fast as he could but it took him a good ten minutes before he found them. He whistled loudly enough for the ambulance driver to hear._

_"Hey, they said it was around train tracks right?" He asked one of his co-workers, who nodded. "Well I just heard this whistle." The whistle sounded again._

_"Let's follow it. It should lead us to the only road that meets the train tracks around here." The other said._

_Mr. Conductor sighed with relief that they got his message. He led them as fast as he could to Schemer's car. The storm had long since disappeared and it was getting slightly clearer out. Finally..._

_"Get the the stretched out boys! We've found the car!"_

_The paramedics worked quickly, just hoped he had been fast enough in finding them. He waited with baited breath as they checked Schemer's pulse._

_"We've still got him, hurry and he should be okay!" One of them cried out._

_Mr. Conductor released his breath and quickly returned to Shining Time where two very worried people were waiting. Schemee looked up immediately, slightly red-eyed._

_"He's alive, and they've picked him up. We should get a phone call any minute now telling us which hospital he's being taken to." He explained._

_Schemee gave a cry of happiness and relief. "Thank you Mr. C!" He choked out._

_Mr. Conductor gave a nod and a smile. "It was my pleasure, and if you'll excuse me now it's been a very tiring day. I must go back for some sleep, all that disappearing and reappearing has wiped me out!" He said before he disappeared once more._

_Stacy and Schemee drove to the hospital once they received a phone call. Before they entered his room, Stacy turned to Schemee. "I need you to do something for me. Please don't tell your Uncle about Mr. Conductor. It's not that he doesn't like him, it's just that only shows himself when the time is right. Schemer has yet to meet him." She explained. He nodded before going in to visit his Uncle._

_Entering the room by himself he was greeted to the sight of his Uncle lying on the hospital bed. He didn't look too bad, though he did have an IV and there was bruising on his face and chest. He also had a stitched up cut on his forehead, just around his hairline. His eyes fluttered open as Schemee drew closer._

_"Oh Uncle Schemer!" Schemee wailed before launching himself at his Uncle. Schemer caught him, feeling mildly surprised, but nonetheless happy to see his nephew._

_"Schemee, it's okay. You don't have to worry, I'm fine." He said as he held his nephew close. "Just a bump on the head, really. Though this does mean that you'll have to do all my work at the arcade for me." He said jokingly. Schemee looked up, cracking a small smile._

_Stacy looked on from the doorway, with relief and happiness at the sight flooding her heart._

Both Schemer and Schemee's memories ended approximately the same time. They simultaneously looked up at each other and tried to speak.

"So, uh, when do you finish work?" Schemee asked.

"Want to go play baseball after work?" Schemer asked simultaneously.

They cracked identical grins and Schemer looked at the clock. "Well...Let's just say I finish right now!" He said and the two walked off grinning like Cheshire Cats.

Stacy shook her head, amused at the sight. Schemer did sacrifice a lot to take in Schemee. But she knew he wouldn't have it any other way. The pair were almost inseparable and watching them never failed to amuse. But it was obvious how much they needed each other and how much they appreciated the other. She respected Schemer a great deal for it, a great deal indeed. Maybe it was time that he got his chance to make up for the things he had missed, while including Schemee in his life. Maybe things really did happen for a reason.


	3. Chapter 3

Understanding and Promises - Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Authoresses Note: Here's the next chapter! Now, this one took awhile to write even though it's shorter. It's harder to get into any of the pre-action stuff when you know the bulk of the story/action is coming. The next chapter should be up faster. Enjoy!

**Chapter revised on Apr. 28, 2013. **

* * *

The invitation was simple, but that's what Stacy liked about it. The mail train had delivered all the usual items and it was the last thing Stacy pulled out of the bag. The paper itself was encased in a plastic box, joined by a single red rose. She couldn't help but smile as she read it's message.

'My dearest Station Mistress, please allow me the pleasure of taking you out to dinner this evening.'

Replacing the signature was a nickel taped to the bottom of the page. If that didn't make the sender's identity absolutely clear then she didn't know what would. The note must have been sincere, she decided, as Schemer did not readily part with his nickels. It had been about a month since the evening of the staff party and this was the first invitation Stacy had received for a formal date. True to his word, Schemer had taken things slowly. He took her on small, innocent outings. Outings that to an outsider would appear to be shared between two friends. However, to Stacy and Schemer, the outings were special. They seemed to come alive with some magic that formed between them. Stacy could feel herself growing closer and closer to him, exceeding the bounds of friendship. He made her feel alive, and as if she could never be lonely as long as he were in her life.

But, she thought with a surge of disappointment, the current state of affairs was far from simple. It was unknown to her how long this could last. Heck, as much as she enjoyed his company and what they shared, she somehow regretted it. She didn't regret the feelings themselves, just the thought that she might have promised him, and to an extension herself, something that could not last forever. Frowning, she made her way into Billy's office. She needed someone to talk to. He was seated at his desk doing some paperwork when she stepped in.

"Stacy," he greeted warmly, "What can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you about something." She said, biting her lower lip.

He frowned, looking slightly worried, "Oh? What's that?"

She sighed, "It's about Schemer. Well, no, it's more about what's going on between Schemer and I." She confessed.

He smiled somewhat coyly, "Ah yes, I was wondering when you'd bring that up."

She looked up suddenly. "You knew?" She asked incredulously.

He laughed heartily, "Oh Stacy, you two and so obvious. Well, at least to me you are."

Instead of grinning back, she looked slightly horrified. "Do you think anyone else has noticed?" She asked worriedly.

"Easy Stacy. And no, I don't think anyone else has noticed. You know Midge Smooch would be the first to know, and then everyone else in town after her."

She sighed with relief. "Good, I mean, it's not good. Good in some ways and not good in others. Am I making any sense?" She asked, with a frown on her face.

He shook his head with a slight smile. "I understand on some strange level. Though I just want to clarify, the 'not good' has nothing to do with him, right?"

She nodded, "No, all the 'good' has to do with him. I'm very afraid that the 'not good' will ruin our friendship in the end though. I'm not sure to what extent that this relationship can go." She said sadly.

"What do you mean?" He asked thoughtfully.

She averted her eyes. "Well, it's just that with everything that has happened between us, and everything that happened in the last year, I'm still not sure if we're both ready for a real and serious relationship. I keep worrying that one of us will have a panic attack and need to back out. And I can't guarantee that it won't be me." She said regretfully.

Billy looked thoughtful. "Well, did you both enter it with any regrets?"

Stacy shook her head, "No, not at all. I feel like we both acted on our feelings. In fact, I was the one who sort of started it."

"You're never going to be sure if you're ready unless you try. And if he entered it with the promise of taking things slow than it sounds like he's being just as cautious. It sounds like either of you want the relationship to end, so why worry about breaking up when things are going well? Unless you plan on breaking things off." Billy suggested.

Stacy looked scandalized, "No, not at all! I don't want it to end!"

Billy smiled, "Good, because I'm positive that he doesn't want it to end either. It's an adult relationship, as long as everyone is consenting and equally involved, you can get the most out of your relationship. There's a risk to everything, but you'll never know if it can grow into something more if you don't take that risk."

Stacy smiled, "Thanks Billy, I feel better already. I just don't want to string him along like Andrew. But I also know that I have more feelings from him than I ever did for Andrew."

Billy nodded, but neglected to bring up Ned. He didn't particularly want to hear a comparison between Ned and Schemer, and wasn't sure how Stacy felt about Ned still.

A sound that sounded like a harp on high speed suddenly played out in the room, accompanied with a plume of gold dust.

"Sodor has been terribly busy lately." Mr. Conductor said with a sign.

"Yes, so has Shining Time Station." Billy said slyly. Stacy gave him a gentle smack on the arm.

"Oh? How so?" Mr. Conductor asked.

Stacy gave Billy a mock glare for effectively trapping her. "I, um, might have started a new relationship." She said shyly.

"With who?" Mr. Conductor asked, interested in this new development.

"With our arcade manager." She said simply.

Mr. Conductor's eyes widened as he registered this. "Oh, with Schemer? Wow, I never would have thought-" He didn't finish that thought as Billy gave him a quick glare.

"I mean, uh, didn't think it would have happened so quickly! Good for you!" He changed his train of thought.

Stacy frowned at him, "You don't think that it would have worked?" She asked with concern.

"No, that's not it at all. I just never thought you reciprocated his feelings. But I'm glad you're both happy, you are happy right?" He asked sincerely.

"Of course, I'm very happy!" She said with equal sincerity.

"And it's nice that you're both ready for a relationship. I haven't seen you show signs of being ready for one, but you took your time to think this one out before starting it." Billy said. "And it's nice that Schemer is actually showing the commitment needed for a relationship. He's had feelings for you for a long time. Heck that's probably the reason it didn't work out with the other..." He trailed off at Stacy's fiery gaze.

"What was that?" She asked with false innocence.

Billy looked sheepish. "Sh-"

* * *

Schemer arrived at her house slightly after seven in the evening. He grabbed the bouquet of roses on the seat beside him and walked up to her door to greet her. Knocking at her door, he felt confident for their first date. He hadn't even fallen over yet. With baited breath he waited for her footsteps to reach the door. Finally the door cracked open slowly.

"Hey Stacy! I brought these for you. This time they're not 'fresh-yesterday' flowers." He said with a sheepish grin.

She gave a coy smile, "Thanks Schemer, that's sweet of you. Why don't you come in for a second?" She turned and brought the flowers to the kitchen. He quickly took off his shoes and followed her.

"So how was your day?" He asked as she filled a vase with water to place the roses.

"Informative." She said with a wide grin. "Yours?"

"Oh you know, the usual. Though I spent the whole day looking forward to this. I'm really glad that you're the person here with me, it means a lot that you're coming out with me. This is my first official date in my adult life, really." He confessed, sounding sincere.

Stacy quickly turned away and placed the vase on the table. "Oh yeah? What about the other girls?" She whipped around, looking serious.

"Errr, what other girls exactly?" He asked, sounding confused.

"The ones you've apparently seen while simultaneously having feelings for me! The ones that it didn't work out with." She countered, her voice was quiet yet held a dangerous anger to it.

Schemer paused with pursed lips before answering, "Oh right, those girls." He said as if he had suddenly remembered them. He hoped it would be enough to defuse the situation.

It wasn't.

"I think you should go now." She said darkly, gripping his arm and half-dragging him to the door.

"Wait, Stacy, please let me explain!" He protested as they approached the front door.

"Save it, you lied to me!" She said, her voice sounding betrayed.

"No, I didn't, if you'll just let me explain to you what actually happened." He was beginning to sound more frantic as she opened the door.

"Why should I? It's literally been a month and I've already caught you lying."

"Because I'm telling you that I didn't lie!" He said as she blocked the doorway, causing him to have to step outside.

"How could you possibly have not lied?" She asked, looking hurt.

"I didn't lie, because I didn't really date them for starters." He said, looking truthful.

"Do you really think that I want to hear the details of whatever it was that you had with these girls?" She said quizzically, and looking unimpressed.

"Whether you want to know the details or not, I'll answer whatever questions you have truthfully." He said, she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Cross my heart." He said, making the X over his chest.

For a moment, he was worried she'd just slam the door, but finally she relented with a sigh.

"Okay, fine. Come back inside, and this better be good!" She chastised.

They went back to the kitchen and sat down. She sat on one side, with her arms crossed, looking at him intently. He was sitting across from her, with his hands folded on top of the table in front of him.

"So what would you like to know?" He asked gently, trying not to make her angry again.

"I'd like to know exactly how it is that you didn't lie to me." She asked with polite coolness. "You said awhile ago that you hadn't been able to date to date in the past because of how you had to take care of Schemee."

"Okay, that's true, I did say that. And it is the truth." He said honestly. "I had seen some girls, two to be exact, over my time at the station. However I wouldn't consider it dating because all we did was get to know each other on a casual basis, maybe went on one date like outing, and that was it. Nothing ever came out of it. Like I said, I wasn't in a good position to start an actual dating relationship, and I could see that they were in different stages in their lives than I was. I could already tell that things wouldn't work out because I couldn't see them in a situation where they were dating someone who was taking care of a young child."

Stacy nodded, taking it all in. "I guess I can see how that would have played out." She admitted, and he gave a small smile in response. "But how about the fact that I never heard about them? I guess you didn't have to tell me everything, but it seems strange that Billy would have known about them and I never would have even gotten a clue about them."

"Ah, so Billy did tell you about them, I knew he had to have been your information source!" He said with a smirk.

"Ugh, I guess I let it slip, sorry. Please don't blame him, it was an accident on his part entirely." She said shamefully.

"I won't, he would never intentionally hurt anyone." He promised. "And I guess you never would have heard because I primarily just spoke to Billy about my feelings where women are concerned, and that's mostly because I couldn't speak to you about it."

"Because you had feelings?" She asked gently.

"Right, there was no way I was going to talk to you about other girls, because I guess I always holding onto the hope that you might one day have feelings for me. And if I told you about some girl I might have been seeing, and you did happen to have feelings, I never would have forgiven myself for wrecking things unintentionally." He explained.

"And there's no chance that you could have feelings for another girl while you're here with me?" She asked, wanting to know the truth.

He shook his head gently, his curl bobbing slightly. "Look Stacy, I'll be honest with you, and I'll always be honest with you. I have been with other women, but I can safely say that nothing has even come close to meaning anything to me like the time we spend together. And there's no chance that I have feelings for any other girl. You can tell me anything about your past relationships, and be as honest as you need to, but I need to know that you trust me, and actually reciprocate my feelings."

"I do trust you, and I'm sorry for doubting you, especially on our first date. And yes, I definitely reciprocate your feelings." She said with a smile.

Smiling, he walked over to the other side of the table and kissed her, she responded by kissing him back passionately and gripping his back. Finally breaking apart, he gave her his usual Schemer-grin and said, "Should we head out on our date now? Before things get too heated."

Giving him a smirk, Stacy responded with, "You got it, so where are we going?"

"There's this restaurant up in Chubby Corners that I know about, I think you might like it. It's fancy, but I think it's appropriate because we have a lot to celebrate. Our first big date... Our first reconciled fight..." He gave her a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove, "Shut it, you."

* * *

Billy approached Stacy at the station the next day. "Hey Stacy, I just want to make sure everything is alright, and that I didn't cause any trouble with what I said yesterday!" He said while looking worried.

She gave a light laugh, "Yes Billy, everything is okay. We talked about it, but I think we're both comfortable and confident regarding how things turned out."

He let out a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness, I was really worried. And I really didn't want to ruin things for either of you. Not to mention having Schemer mad at me."

"It's okay, we're both fine and happy. Our date went well last night." She said happily.

"I'm glad! By the way, could I ask you for your help with something in my office? I need some help looking through some old documents.

She obliged and followed him into his office. They worked together quietly, but the silence was broken not too long after by chuckling coming from just outside the door. They looked at each other quickly before poking their heads outside to look at the commotion. Schemer and Schemee were giggling over a clipboard that had been placed on Stacy's desk.

"Hey! What are you two doing?" She asked suspiciously.

"Oh, Ms. Jones. I didn't see you there." Schemer said as he hid it behind his back. Schemee giggled once more beside him.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you have there, give it to me!" She said before lunging at him. She moved too quickly and soon had the clipboard clutched in her grasp.

"The Indian Valley Railroad Shareholder and Co-Owner Application." She read aloud. "What exactly were you two doing with this?" She asked suspiciously.

"Filling out an application." Schemee said truthfully.

She looked at them both, eyes completely deadpan. She finally turned to Schemer. "You do realize that only serious applicants are accepted?" She said mockingly.

"But all applications have to be handed in and considered!" He said victoriously, waving an already completed application in her face.

"Schemer! You mean to tell me that I have to actually look Mr. King dead in the eye and say, 'Oh, by the way, here's Schemer's application. Wouldn't he be fun to co-own a railroad with.'?" She said in an angry tone of voice.

"Exactly." He said happily, and he and Schemee were taken with a new round of laughter.

She slammed her palm to her face as she grabbed the application and placed it in the 'To be given to Mr. King' tray. Billy shook his head in the background.

"Schemer in charge of the Indian Valley Railroad? What's next? Actually never mind, I don't want to know. I'll be in my office if anyone needs me." He said before leaving.

Schemee checked his watch. "Actually I've got to go as well, I'm meeting Dan, Becky and Kara at the general store. Bye everyone, good luck Uncle!" He called over his shoulder as he left, still laughing about the incident.

Once they were alone, Stacy grabbed Schemer by the arm and half dragged him to his arcade. "Ow, Ms. Jones, stop it!" He whined.

"Oh, shut it!" She said angrily. "This is your brilliant plan, oh great trickster? An application to practically take over the railroad? Mr. King would rather pave over every inch of property them put you as his second in command."

He grinned. "No, that was actually Schemee's idea. The boy is a natural!"

Her expression softened slightly. "You're a handful, both of you, you know that?"

He smiled at her. "Good." He said before pulling her into a kiss, one she reciprocated happily. The door to the station opened and they broke apart quickly, as if nothing had just been going on. Looks like they still weren't one hundred percent ready to be seen by the general public.

* * *

Mr. King surveyed the young man in front of him. "So Mr. Miller, I hear you're interested in becoming a shareholder with the company." He said happily. They were sitting in Mr. King's grand office, located in the Snarlyville station.

Paul Miller nodded, "Yes sir." He said with a brilliant smile. It was hard to not like Paul. He was articulate and professional. Women fell all over themselves when they looked at him, it was hard not to. With his dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and excellent fashion sense he attracted women to him like a magnet.

Mr. King nodded happily. "I'm quite glad to hear that. Since we've become a publicly owned company the largest share holder, apart from myself who always maintains 51% of the company, is the co-owner. Essentially my second in command. I still have to go about this formally of course, but I'd say that you stand a fair chance."

"I appreciate it sir, and as you know, I've got a fairly hefty amount to offer as a shareholder."

"Well, I don't want to say that it will guarantee you the position..." Mr. King said trailing off, thinking about the wording. "It certainly won't 'hurt' your chances." He finished. "Looks like we're just about done here, may I show you to the door?"

"Absolutely, and thank you for your consideration." Paul said politely. They walked in silence out of Mr. King's office, until Paul broke the silence with a question.

"May I ask you about two employees?" He asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"Of course, ask away." Mr King replied.

"You know the small brunette woman, the one who always who wears red, and the man with the curl?" He asked with mock curiosity.

"You must mean Stacy Jones and Horace Schemer. Schemer is, believe it or not, one of your competition for the co-owner position." Mr. King said, though he used the word 'competition' lightly.

Paul raised an eyebrow. This bit of information changed things. "What station do they work for?"

"They're both located at Shining Time Station." Mr. King said. Paul's eyebrows flew up.

"You mean, Schemer is the one who owns that arcade?" He asked, hardly daring to believe his luck.

Mr. King nodded. "The very same. Now, what was it you wanted to know about them?" He asked curiously.

Paul recovered quickly, "Nothing at all. I just saw them at a restaurant the other day and recognized them from the staff party. I realized that I didn't knows their names and didn't want to go approach them without knowing who they were first." He said with a grin, quickly making up a partially true story.

Mr. King nodded. "Ah yes... They were at a restaurant together?" He asked. Before Paul could answer he cut him off. "Ah well, they're quite good friends. Two very different people at that too, they can't have been on a date." He said, his eyebrows raising at the very idea of the two together.

Paul nodded, not saying anything. He had all the information he needed, now he just needed to wait and plan for the right moment. He and Mr. King bid goodbye to each other and Paul exited the office, deep in thought. How excellent it was that the very two that he saw, held the key to his success at Shining Time Station. For starters, that arcade had to be his. He would need an office for when he became co-owner.


	4. Chapter 4

Understanding and Promises - Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Authoresses Note: Here's chapter 4. Thanks for all the reviews, I love the feedback :) We're starting to really dive into the plot now, it makes me happy. Enjoy!

**Chapter revised on: Apr. 28-30**

* * *

It was a little after midnight and the night sky was clear of any clouds. The stars shone through powerfully, dotting the inky blackness with white, flickering flames. A car, a black cadillac, was barely discernible to anyone driving along the road. They'd have to be staring right at it as they drove past the abandoned field. A little ways away there was a blanket spread out the ground. Two people lay side by side on it.

Schemer had one arm behind his head and the other around Stacy's shoulders. A serene smile was spread upon his face. Usually they went out in the daytime, sometimes out for a meal, or a walk through the woods, but a late night date seemed like a good idea. Under the cover of stars he felt pretty infinite, invincible even. What's more, star gazing was romantic enough to surely make Stacy swoon with glee. He grinned somewhat slyly, but was nonetheless happy with his choice. It was a good idea, a relaxing one at that, and he was right about the romance factor. Having Stacy curled up beside him was enough to make his heart swell with joy.

"I never knew you were into star gazing." Stacy said, rolling over to face him.

He laughed his Schemer laugh. "I'm full of surprises Ms. Jones."

She shook her head slowly, a smile creeping on her face. "I suppose you are. But I do appreciate it, it's a beautiful thing to do." She gave him a small kiss on the nose. He reciprocated by claiming her lips with his. They had been seeing each other for a little over two months now. Both had stayed true to moving slowly, they still hadn't revealed their relationship to anyone but Billy, and in Stacy's case, Mr. Conductor. Neither seemed to move too quickly at the idea of making the move into the public eye, and in some ways they both wanted to avoid it. But they had their separate reasons for doing so. They broke apart and Stacy buried her face into the crook of his neck. She placed one arm across his chest and he pulled her in closer.

Schemer gently kissed the top of her brown curls and whispered gently to her. "You mean a lot to me, you know that?"

She smiled into his shoulder. "You mean a lot to me too. I can't imagine us being together like this, thinking back to a few months ago. Back when you were just my goofy friend."

He smirked. "Oh thanks for that." He said sarcastically.

She giggled, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive about it." She said with sincerity, despite her gentle laughter.

"It's okay, I honestly wouldn't have wanted to date me either. Despite all the egotistical things I said about myself." He admitted.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, it doesn't matter what we were back then, all that really matters is now." She said with concern in her eyes.

He sat up slowly, stretching his back out. "I suppose you're right, all that really matters is how we see ourselves now. Although, sometimes I feel concerned about what other people are going to think. As far as I know, nobody knows yet, but once it gets out there will be lots of talking." He said, looking up into the sky.

"Schemer, don't worry about what people think. Like you said, it doesn't matter." She sat up beside him, grabbing onto his hand.

"I know, it's just... Never mind." He said, looking down and away from the sky.

"Oh come on, you can tell me." She said with a smile, and nudged him.

Her good mood couldn't help but make him smile. "Okay, but please don't get mad at me for bringing this up." He said gently. "I sometimes feel like no one will believe that you would be with me in your right mind, and that they'll always be comparing me to Ned. Sometimes I feel that compared to him, I'll never be good enough."

She was silent for a minute, "So that's what this is about." She said quietly. He looked over to her and she met his gaze.

"Schemer, what happened with Ned is in the past. There's nothing about it that can change my feelings for you. And you shouldn't compare yourself to other people, regardless of who they are. We're our own worst critics and nothing good ever comes from comparing yourself to someone else. If other people are going to compare you, than let them. As long as they keep it to themselves, we don't have to do anything. And if anyone ever said a single thing to me about it then I would be fuming mad and tell them that what I do is none of their business." She said fiercely.

He nodded with a small grin. "I feel very lucky to have you." He told her in a soft voice.

"And I feel lucky to have you too, you're a better person than you think you are." She said, truth shining in her eyes.

"Thanks, Stacy." He said warmly. They kissed once more, embracing each other in the moonlight. When they broke apart, Stacy shivered.

"Are you cold?" Schemer asked with concern in his voice.

"A little." She admitted.

Without another word he took off his suit jacket and placed it on her shoulders. She smiled gratefully and allowed him to place an arm around her shoulder.

"I should take you home now, it's pretty pretty late huh?" He asked as they walked towards the car. A short drive later they were outside Stacy's house once more. As he got out to go around to her side, he stifled a yawn with his arm. He didn't think anything of it but as Stacy got out of the car she frowned.

"Schemer, are you tired?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Just a little, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Hmm, well, I don't feel comfortable with you driving home alone. At least when I was in the car you had someone to talk to and keep you awake. I'd hate to have anything happen to you driving back from my place." She explained.

He shook his head with a smile. "Stacy, it's fine, don't worry. To be honest I've driven in far worse conditions on a lot less sleep."

"Not on my watch, you didn't." She said stubbornly.

"It's perfectly fine, I wouldn't want to impose on you."

"No Schemer, I insist. I want you to stay here tonight, I don't want you driving home alone." She stubbornly insisted.

He smiled. "Well if you insist, I suppose I can't refuse." He followed her inside. As they got ready for bed, Schemer thought of something suddenly.

"Uh oh, Schemee's alone at the house tonight." He said aloud.

Stacy looked up at him. "Didn't you tell him that you'd be back late?" She asked.

"Yes, I told him not to wait up. But I just hope he doesn't notice that I'm missing." He said worriedly.

Stacy placed a hand on his. "You can call him from here if you really want to. But keep in mind that it is after two in the morning. He's probably asleep. It's also Sunday tomorrow and he's a teenager. He'll probably sleep in until after you get back. Or you can always call in the morning."

He relaxed. "You're right, I'll just call in the morning or get back before he gets up."

They moved over to Stacy's bed and climbed in on either side. Stacy gave a laugh. "You know, you didn't exactly put up much of a fight." She said with a shake of her head.

"And why would I do that?" He asked as he edged further down into a lying position. With another chuckle Stacy curled up beside him, resting her head in the crook of his arm. He relaxed immediately and curled his arm around her.

"Good night Stacy." He whispered. He was feeling pure bliss at having her rest curled up beside him.

"Good night Schemer." She replied before reaching over and turning off the lamp.

They fell asleep quickly and without another word.

* * *

Schemee woke up the next morning to a quiet house. "Uncle Schemer must have gotten back late last night." He thought to himself.

He walked over to his Uncle's bedroom to check and see if he was still in bed. To his surprise, the bed was made perfectly. It looked untouched. He frowned in puzzlement. Maybe he had already gotten up...

He checked the downstairs, and again, found no trace of anybody having been there. "Did he leave for work already? Oh wait, it's Sunday. The Station isn't open today."

He peeked outside and found that the car was not in the driveway. "Weird..." He thought to himself. It then dawned on him that his Uncle hadn't gone anywhere this morning. He hadn't even come home last night.

Schemee felt the panic rising in his chest. He _hated_ the feeling of being left alone. He didn't mind being alone that is, but feeling like he couldn't find anyone or when someone didn't arrive when they should made him feel nervous. It just reminded him of the time his mother hadn't come home or when his uncle didn't come back to the station. He reached for the phone, thinking about who to call, when he heard a familiar car engine come down the driveway. He placed the phone back in it's receiver and waited, hidden slightly in the kitchen.

He watched his Uncle walk back to the house, seemingly unaware that he was late. He was still wearing the same clothes from last night, further confirming Schemee's thoughts. He unlocked the door silently and crept in. He was looking around, as if waiting for someone to sneak up on him. When he found no one, he began making his way upstairs.

"And where were you?" Schemee drawled from the kitchen.

Schemer jumped quite a height and nearly tripped over the step. He whipped around. "Schemee! You're up early!" He said in a somewhat high pitched voice.

"It's ten in the morning." Schemee pointed out.

"Right, well. I had a late night last night." He pointed out the obvious.

"How exactly did 'business stuff' take you all night to do?" Schemee asked, puzzled.

"It just... sort of did." He said lamely.

Schemee cocked his head. Something had been different with Schemer lately. There seemed to be a new spring to his step. He stayed out later and went out for longer periods of time. He was always preening himself, more than usual that is, and trying to look his best. He stayed on the phone at all hours...

"Oh!" Schemee said suddenly. Schemer raised an eyebrow.

"You're seeing someone!" He exclaimed.

Schemer's eyes went wide. "No I'm not!" He said hurriedly.

"Yes, you are! I can always tell when you're lying! You're seeing someone!" He yelled victoriously. "Who is it?"

"It's..." Schemer thought about it for a moment. He could tell Schemee, couldn't he? He could trust him. But then again, he was friends with other teenagers who hung out at the station, one of which was Stacy's nephew. He had promised to not say anything to anyone. "I... can't say, we're trying to keep it on the down low." He finished.

Schemee's face fell. "What, why?" He asked with a confused look on his face.

"Because, it's complicated. It's just adult stuff, you don't need to be bothered by it. Besides, you ended up staying at home by yourself. And the house is still standing." He said, quickly changing the subject. To be honest, despite his conversation with Stacy last night, he still didn't feel completely convinced. Not to mention, they never talked about actually sharing the details of their relationship with anyone.

"I guess..." Schemee said, looking slightly downcast.

Schemer looked thoughtful. "Look, I want to tell you, I really do. And I will, I promise, I just need to make sure everything is sorted out and we're ready to actually go public with it." He explained.

Schemee nodded, looking slightly more convinced. "Okay, I guess that's too bad that it's complicated though. For you, I mean." He said.

Schemer nodded. "Yes, and I can't wait until it's less complicated, but until then I'm happy where I am right now."

"I'm glad you're dating, by the way. It's nice to see that you have someone." Schemee said sincerely.

"Thanks, I appreciate that a lot, I think you'll like her." Schemer said ironically.

* * *

Paul was sitting in his Snarlyville office, scheming. His plan hadn't quite been moving fast enough. The selection process for the new co-owner of The Indian Valley Railroad was going much more slowly than anticipated. He needed to find a way to speed things up, and fast. He was far from patient, despite his outwardly calm demeanour.

His notepad, the one he usually kept with him at all times, was open on his desk. Written on the top of the page were three names with notes beside each.

_Mr. J.B. King - Current owner, and shareholder of 51% of the company. _

_Horace Schemer - Arcade owner at Shining Time Station, competition. _

_Stacy Jones - ?_

He didn't have much to go with regarding the last two people. But he needed more information before he could make anymore plans. These two seemed to be critical to anything he did in the next few months. When Shining Time Station became the official flagship station of the company, his original plans were turned upside down. He had been moving up the ranks at the Snarlyville Branch, expecting fully that it would become the flagship station. And he wasn't the only one, it was widely expected among the staff that Snarlyville would be on top. And why not, they were clearly the best...

But then Shining Time Station crept up, and as a true opportunist, he needed an 'in' to this small and insignificant station. And then, a year ago, something happened that made him start formulating a plan. One of the staff members set a train full of passengers loose and somehow avoided the wrath of J.B. King. Horace Schemer. In an effort to gain more information about this strange situation, he did his research regarding the other staff members at the small station. Billy Twofeathers was far too imposing and intimidating to approach, and that left the mild-mannered Station Mistress Stacy Jones. He tried to approach her at the most recent staff party, but she seemed disinterested with him and he knew that he had no chance to receive any information just by charming her.

And then he saw something even more interesting, Schemer left with Stacy after the party. At first, he thought it may have just been nothing, but then he saw them alone together at a fancy restaurant in Chubby Corners only a month later. And completely by accident, he wasn't even trying to follow them that time. Bringing them up to Mr. King hadn't revealed anything further, so it seemed like it was time to investigate things further, and first hand.

Things were going to start moving, and soon. He could feel it.

* * *

Several months went by. Summer had faded into Fall and Fall had just turned the corner to Winter. It was a normal day at Shining Time Station, the trains were running a bit slower because it was the first snowfall, but other than that everyone was in good spirits. It was close to Christmastime and the station had been decorated to reflect the season. There was a light snowfall and it gave the station a calming view from the window. Billy had jokingly put up a cardboard cut out of The Grinch in Schemer's arcade. Schemer had pouted until it was removed.

Schemer sauntered over to Stacy's desk.

"Ms. Jones would you, uh, like to part take in completely friendly Christmas festivities with me tonight?" He asked casually. "In spirit of the Christmas... spirit."

Stacy chuckled. "And where would these festivities take place?" She asked, supporting her head with her elbow resting on the desk.

"Over in Snarlyville there's a great restaurant. It's called 'Lights'. I thought we might try it out." He suggested.

She raised an eyebrow. "But that's such a romantic restaurant. Not that I'm complaining about that, mind you."

He smiled gently. "I know it's romantic, I really wanted to do something for you that was out in public. I mean, we don't have to be all over each other or anything. But I'm getting more used to the idea of people seeing us together. Who cares what they think, right?"

"Exactly, we're there to have a good time. If they have a problem, they should be focusing more on their own lives." She agreed.

"Great. So I'll pick you up at seven?" He asked happily.

She nodded. "Sounds good. I have to run to Barton Winslow's store right now, Billy knows already so he's watching the phones and desk. By the way, you've got a customer in your arcade." She said as she left with a smile.

Schemer turned quickly, there was indeed a customer. A man was looking over the juke box and gazing around the perimeter of the area. Schemer walked over to greet him.

"Hey, anything I can help you-" He began to say, but froze as the man turned around. It was the same blonde haired guy who had talked to Stacy at the previous staff party. He gave Schemer a wide grin.

"Oh, you must be the owner of this place. It's Schemer, right?" He asked politely, extending a hand.

"Err, yeah that's me. And who might you be?" He asked curiously.

"The name is Paul, Paul Miller. I work over at the big Snarlyville Station." He explained. "This arcade is in a great spot, by the way. It overlooks the entire station. And the station itself is quite a sight to behold." He said as he looked around.

Schemer felt a small rush of pride. "Yeah, I like it. And I appreciate someone who can appreciate the majesty of my arcade. I mean, it does have the best view in the entire station." He said somewhat boastfully.

Schemer wasn't sure how much this Paul guy had heard about his dinner plans with Stacy, but he wasn't too concerned. This guy didn't even know them most likely. Besides, what did some stranger care about two people going out to dinner?

"Well, it was nice to meet you Schemer." Paul said cordially. "I've got to run but maybe I'll see you around sometime."

"Yeah, you too." Schemer said, feeling slightly prideful after being complimented by a random stranger. Not enough people appreciated his arcade as much as he did. It was nice to see someone who could see it for what it was worth. Maybe his judgement had been a little too hasty, this Paul guy didn't seem like a jerk after all.

* * *

The restaurant was beautiful. It was a busy night, but Schemer had gotten a reservation. It was packed with couples and business people discussing important matters over dinner. The decor was spectacular and the prices on the menu matched it in terms on fanciness. Schemer sat nervously in front of Stacy. She looked so beautiful tonight, and he felt butterflies every time he saw her. It was especially nice to be out in such a fancy place with her and on a true date. She deserved the best, and he wanted to give it to her. He also had something important that he had wanted to discuss with her.

"So, how did the rest of your day go?" She asked as their salads arrived.

"It was great, the arcade did well today. I was complimented on it by an employee from another station." He boasted.

"I bet that made your week." She said with a laugh.

"Yeah, well, I mean it was nice. But I'd still think that being here with you is making my week more than that did." He said bashfully.

"You treat me very well, and I really appreciate being with you." She said sweetly. "Oh, and before I forget, I wanted to give this to you tonight. I was going to wait and save it for Christmas Day, but I couldn't wait." She pulled a small package out of her purse and handed it to him.

"Oh Stacy, I didn't bring your present with me." He said as he took it from her. "But I do have one, I swear it's sitting under my tree right now."

"It's okay, and I believe you. I just didn't have any patience." She said with a smile. "Now open it!"

"You not having any patience? Never." He said as he began to open the Christmas-themed wrapping paper that covered the box. Once it was removed, he was left with a long box that almost resembled a jewelry box. Now he was intrigued about the contents even more. He opened the box, and took in the object that was sitting delicately on a layer of padding.

"Do you like it?" She asked nervously.

"I love it!" He said sincerely. "You know me way too well Miss Jones, you know that?" He said with a laugh.

"I figured it was very much something that suited you." She said with a triumphant smile.

He removed the object from the box and inspected it between his fingers. It was a medium sized, silver comb, and to top it off it had 'Schemer' engraved on one side. "I hope you'll like my present to you just as much." He said, smiling.

Dipping her head gently, she said, "I'm sure I will, you're pretty much the master of creativity around here."

"This will be very hard to top, but I'm hoping what I have will match it." A competitive grin slid across his face.

After dinner, as Schemer went to go pay the bill, he did a double take as he saw two familiar faces at another table. One was the man he saw earlier in his arcade, Paul Miller, and the other was Mr. J.B. King himself. He was curious as to why they'd be here together, and even more so why Paul was in Mr. King's inner circle. Maybe he was more affluent than Schemer thought.

Neither of them noticed Schemer, although Paul was situated facing towards where Schemer was currently standing. Schemer didn't particularly want to go say hi, especially if he hadn't been noticed. It would make for an awkward greeting, and not to mention that neither knew about himself and Stacy being together. That might make it even more awkward.

Although, that brought up a point in Schemer's mind. It had been awhile since they started dating yet they hadn't told anybody. Why should it still be considered awkward to have to tell other people? Maybe it was a good time to talk about where things should be heading. They had done well with starting out slow, and things had progressed at what felt like a comfortable speed. He'd bring it up on the ride back, unfortunately that would be all the time they'd have to talk about it tonight. Stacy had an early morning ahead of her and he didn't want to disrupt her sleep schedule.

As he approached the table Stacy smiled up at him, "Ready to go?" She asked.

"Yes, the bill has been settled, let me grab your coat for you." He offered and placed her winter coat around her shoulders.

"Oh thank you, you're such a gentleman." She purred.

"Always, and not to mention so handsome." He preened.

"Of course, and thank you for dinner. It was a great date." She said as they walked outside to his car together.

"You're welcome. Oh, you won't believe who I saw inside by the way." He brought up casually.

"Who was it?" She asked curiously.

"I saw Mr. King with that one guy, Paul Miller." He said with a shrug. "Not sure what they were doing all the way out here."

She gave a knowing nod, "Oh, I think I know what it might be for. You know the co-owner for the railroad position? Paul wants it, or so I hear through the grapevine. He's probably buttering Mr. King up."

"That's a mental image I could do without." He smirked.

"You know what I mean. Did they see you?" She asked.

"Nah, it would have seemed weird if I approached them, especially knowing now what it was about." Schemer said. Looking thoughtful, he started, "Hey Stacy? I've been thinking about something."

"What's that?"

"Do you think... it might be time to make things a little more, I don't know, public?" He questioned, feeling a little bit nervous. He still doubted himself, knowing that he last "public" relationship was with Ned.

She was silent for a moment, which felt like an eternity to Schemer, before finally saying, "Yes, I think it might be a good time." She slipped her hand over his on the wheel.

"Really? You mean it?" His face broke into a large grin.

"Mhm, I was thinking about it a little bit earlier as well. While I was purchasing your present in fact."

"Well I'm glad we're on the same page!" He said with relief.

The rest of the drive went too quickly, and in what felt like no time at all they were in Stacy's driveway. After breaking apart from a fairly passionate kiss Schemer looked at her wistfully, "I wish you didn't have to be up early for the Christmas rush at the Station."

"Me neither, but it's the most important time of the year." She said with a sigh.

He nodded in agreement, "Maybe after the staff Christmas party in two days we can have a night together."

"You know? If you don't mind getting up early you can always stay?" She offered.

"Well, I can't really refuse that!" He said happily.

* * *

Paul knew his timing was perfect. He saw Stacy and Schemer leave the restaurant together, knowing that this was the very place they'd be tonight.

"Look Mr. King, there are those two employees again." He pointed out to his boss with false cheer. "They seem to be enjoying each other's company, that's so nice to see!"

Mr. King saw them walking towards Schemer's car. "Well I'll be... Looks like you're right about them spending time together." He said thoughtfully.

"It's so nice they have each other. I think they'd be good together, just seeing them in each other's company makes them appear so happy." Paul said happily.

Mr. King just nodded, "Interesting."

* * *

The digital alarm clock flashed 9:42 am as Schemer rolled over to check it. He blinked a few times out of sleepiness before his eyes widened.

"Ohmygosh, Stacy, wake up!" He half-shouted.

"What?" She said with panic rising in her voice, "Oh no!" She cried as she leapt over him to grasp the alarm clock.

"How did we sleep in?! This is a disaster!" She said, sounding completely distraught.

"Look, it's okay, I'll drive you over to the Station right now!" He said as he got dressed rapidly.

"How is this okay?" She exploded. "I'm almost three hours late on the busiest day of the year! Mr. King was counting on me! I'm never late!"

"I'm sure he'll understand..." Schemer trailed off.

"Understand?! Mr. King doesn't have an understanding bone in his body! Ugh, I knew this was a mistake. You distracted me from setting my alarm!" She said in an accusatory manner.

He bit his tongue so that he didn't respond and make things worse. They drove in complete silence to the Station, he stayed in the car while she dashed inside. Sure enough, it was a madhouse and Billy was manning the desk.

"Oh Billy, I'm so sorry-" She began to say but was cut off by a resounding "Miss Jones!" Coming from behind her.

With a grimace she turned around. "Mr. King, I can explain..." She began but her plea fell on deaf ears.

"Into Mr. Twofeather's office, now!" He barked. She nodded miserably and walked in with as much dignity as she could muster. She sat down across from Billy's chair and waited for the reprimand to come.

She wasn't disappointed.

"Miss Jones, what on Earth could stop you from being here?" He demanded, and smacked his open palm on the desk in front of him. Mr. King wasn't usually angry, just loud, but he was absolutely furious right now.

She jumped at the sound. "I'm sorry, sir. I... Well my alarm... It didn't..." She stuttered heavily with fear.

"What kind of an excuse is that?" He roared. "This is a train station and you are the manager! How can I trust my employees to run a station when they can't even control an alarm!"

Tears filled her eyes, she couldn't bear to be fired. "Please sir, I'm so sorry!" She pleaded. "Please don't fire me!"

He sighed angrily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there something I should know about Miss Jones? Something that could be, ah, distracting you while at work?" He asked delicately.

"Ah, no sir, nothing at all." She fibbed, she was already in trouble anyways.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his eyes boring holes into hers.

"I... I'm sure. Nothing will distract me from the Station, it's my first priority. I'm so sorry, sir." She added quickly.

He gave her one last hard glare. "Good, see to it that nothing does." He turned and left quickly without another word.

* * *

Schemer's heart skipped a beat when she walked back out to the car. "I saw Mr. King leave, how did it go?" He asked gently.

She didn't say anything at first and looked downcast. For a minute he feared the worst but she finally spoke, "I still have my job... I think."

"Well... That's good? It sounds like he gave you a second chance." He said carefully.

She turned around once more. For a moment she didn't say anything and silence fell heavily between them. Finally, "This was a mistake." She said quietly.

"What?" He asked softly. Feeling his heart take a few blows. "What was?" He hardly dared to ask but couldn't help it.

"This, everything. I knew it from the beginning. We were in over our heads but I still agreed to this game. Why was I so stupid? I knew it could never last, and now we're emotionally involved... There's no going back." She shook her head.

He stood there, stunned. Collecting himself, he tried to not look as wounded as he was. Turning his head upwards, he spoke out, trying to eliminate the shaking from his voice. "But, I don't understand, your job is still yours..."

"I almost got fired today! I know how close I came, and it's because of this!" She gestured wildly between them. "This almost cost me my job at Shining Time Station!"

He looked at her with complete shock. "Stacy, are you saying what I think you're saying." He asked with panic.

She didn't say anything and looked away. He felt an anger replace the sorrow that was gnawing at his heart.

"Fine... Fine! If that's how it's going to be. I can see that this meant nothing to you Miss Jones." He said with soft anger.

She shook her head with her eyes narrowed. "Just go Schemer. Just go and hope that we still have jobs in the morning." She said with a sneer, exiting his car and walking inside Shining Time. He gaped at her retreating back for a few seconds out of shock before putting the car in gear and driving as fast as he could. He drove home quickly. His fingers clutched the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

As he walked towards his house he felt like a wounded soldier. It was like he had meant nothing to her. After all this time, he still didn't mean anything to her. It was one mistake, and it wasn't even his fault. She invited him! He should have known that the Station would always come first in her heart. It's not like the Station could keep her company or keep her warm at night, though. He was thirty three, she was twenty nine. It's not like they were getting any younger. And he did love her, there was no question about it. He entered the house and threw his keys on the front table. He lazily began to undo his tie, his throat was feeling tight and it was constricting it. He stormed upstairs without a second glance, dreading having to see her at work for the rest of his life.

* * *

Schemee woke up that morning realizing again that he was alone. Recognizing that his Uncle was clearly more caught up in his new relationship than he was on keeping tabs on his nephew, he concocted a plan. The staff Christmas party was in two days, and he would likely be home alone. Grabbing the phone he dialled a familiar number.

"Hey Kara? It's Schemee! We're still on for a get together at my house. Spread the word, it's in two days."


	5. Chapter 5

Understanding and Promises - Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Authoresses Note: Here's the most recent chapter! I really wanted to get this one out quickly because I think it's the most important. That and I appreciate all your reviews and wanted to lessen your waiting time. Enjoy!

**Chapter revised on: Apr. 30**

* * *

Despite Stacy's fear, neither she nor Schemer were called, talked to, or fired. Unfortunately for them, neither were willing to talk to the other. Stacy was still fuming and Schemer was still licking the wounds of rejection.

As for the other members of the station, they too were beginning to notice something was up. Billy was picking up on the general coldness that had fallen between the two. Mr. Conductor was feeling it tenfold, however. As an entity that essentially existed for the Station, he was very sensitive to the atmosphere. He had been at his strongest during the past few months, but couldn't figure out exactly why. All of the sudden, he was weakened. The distance in the station was thick and it was affecting his magic. He was still strong enough to get back and forth by gold dust but he couldn't do it as often.

He magicked into Billy's office. Placing his hands on his knees he struggled to catch his breath. Billy looked up with concern in his eyes. "Easy there Mr. C, did you just run a marathon?"

Mr. Conductor finally got his breath. "No Billy. I don't know what it is but something is really wrong at Shining Time Station.

Billy gave a deep breath. "I know, something is definitely up. But why are you so, so out of breath?" He asked.

"I can only be the Station's conductor as long as peace is kept. If the people that make up the station are desperately unhappy I feel it through the Station's balance, which is very sensitive to it's people. There is a magic that exists here because of the balance of the people within it. Therefore, if the Station is compromised and it's balance is broken, I get weaker and weaker." He explained.

Billy nodded, frowning slightly. "I never realized the Station had any magic to begin with. I thought you were the only magic here."

Mr. Conductor moved his head from side to side. "Yes and no. The Station doesn't have any magic itself per say, the magic comes from that balance I mentioned."

"I'm still a little confused about this balance. What does it mean?" Billy asked.

"Well, the Station itself is just a building, nothing more. It's the people within it that make it magical. And as for the balance, well, I've found that the three most consistent people at the Station create the balance."

Billy raised his head in understanding. "Stacy, Schemer and I."

"Exactly. That magic is formed at this particular station by what I call the three legged stool effect. A stool is very steady on it's three legs, it's completely balanced. But take one away and it's useless. I've known of a few other station's to possess such a balance. It's just a natural sort of magic that forms itself based on the people who work there. That magic is what causes us Conductors to come live here. If the balance is disrupted, then we are negatively affected. If the balance is destroyed, well..." He trailed off.

Billy's eyes widened. "You get weaker and weaker." He said quietly.

Mr. Conductor nodded. "Exactly. Now, maybe we should ask the other two legs of the stool and see what's going on with them." He suggested.

Billy's eyes widened in realization. "Oh no, they didn't... They couldn't have..."

"Exactly." Mr. Conductor said grimly.

"Stacy, could you come in here?" Billy called.

"Don't tell her about the balance." Mr. Conductor said.

"How come? This could be dangerous to you." Billy said.

"Yes I know, but there are rules about too much intervention. I can't do anything to directly restore the balance. I can give advice and help out in some regards but there's only so much I can do and say. Anyways, I need to go rest again. I've been feeling tired..." He said wearily. He magicked away, leaving a trail of dull gold dust in his wake. Billy gazed at the spot he had disappeared from worriedly.

Stacy walked in, "What's wrong Billy?" She asked.

"Oh, ahh, I just wanted to find out if anything was wrong. You and Schemer seemed.. off." He finished lamely.

Her expression cooled. "Nothing happened. We had a bit of a fight, that's all."

"Forgive me for prying, but are you two alright? You know what I mean..." He asked.

The corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly. "I... We're not together anymore." She confessed.

"Oh... I'm so sorry, I really am." He placed a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off.

"I'm fine, it was for the best." She said stubbornly. "I have to go back outside now. The mail train will be here any second now." She said simply before heading out.

Billy placed his head in his hands after she left. Things weren't looking too good right now.

* * *

Stacy was suddenly standing on the top step of his arcade. She made close to no noise and he hadn't even heard her come up. His throat tightened. Despite the fact that they had been working together all day he wasn't used to being so close to her. She wore a very serious expression.

"The mail's here. The tickets for the staff Christmas party arrived. Here's yours." She said matter-of-factly, handing him his ticket.

"Stacy..." He began to say but she cut him off.

"Doors open at seven pm and it'll be held in Snarlyville once more." She continued as if he hadn't said anything.

"Stacy, please." He pleaded.

She stopped her speech and regarded him coolly. "Yes?" He looked so lost and forlorn that her heart gave a small pang for him. But she didn't drop her facade.

"Are we really going to end like this? Is this it, just working and ignoring each other forever?" He asked sadly.

She looked away briefly before turning to meet his eyes again. She sighed deeply. "Schemer, I think you and I know that we're quite over. I shouldn't have ever let myself get involved in the first place. I made a mistake." She said softly.

He nodded, twisting his mouth slightly and looking to the side. "Okay." He whispered softly. "Okay, that's it then." He turned away from her after taking his ticket from her hand. She shook her head sadly.

"We can still be friends." She added lamely, immediately regretting her choice of words. He whipped back around, coldness etched all over his face.

"Yes, I had a feeling you'd say that." He said coolly. "Let's not even bother with that because you've already proved that you're a pretty lousy friend. Being coworkers is so much less troublesome."

"Fine Schemer. When you want to be mature, come talk to me." She said neutrally before walking away.

* * *

"Will you be alright here by yourself?" Schemer asked Schemee. Schemee was yet again lounging in the doorway to his Uncle's bathroom, mirroring the summer staff party.

"Yes, I'll be just fine. Thanks, again for letting me do this." He said with a smile.

"It's not a problem. You're getting older and can be trusted with these sort of things now." He said as he shaved.

"Thanks Uncle, that means a lot to me. I won't let you down." Schemee said with a nod.

An hour or so later, after his Uncle had left, Schemee called up his friends. "Come on over. Bring some friends if you like." He said cheerfully. "I'll be able to clean up and handle everything."

At first Becky and Dan showed up together. Schemee looked at them confusedly. "Where's Kara?" He asked.

Becky looked uncomfortable. "She's getting friends. She's holding you to your party promise."

Schemee grinned. "Good, good. I'm going to be so popular after this." He said smugly.

Dan rolled his eyes. "Anyone who comes will just take advantage of your house, trust me. My cousin Matt once threw a 'small get together' and about two hundred people showed up. Two hundred people Schemee!" He tried to plead with his best friend.

"Psh, two hundred more people to see me as the wonder that I am." He said cockily.

Becky shook her head. "I truly don't know what's making you so sure of yourself. Your Uncle, you know, the one who adopted you, trusted his house to you. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" She asked.

"Of course it does. But I just want to show him that I can be trusted all the while having a good time. He's going out to a staff party and I'm having a small get together. Don't worry, it'll be fine."

Famous last words. Unfortunately, Schemee was too busy entertaining people in his Uncle's den upstairs to realize that the number of people at his Uncle's house was growing exponentially.

* * *

Schemer lounged glumly at the far side of the reception hall. He had his arms folded across his chest and was sneering at most people who walked by him. He could see Billy chatting with a female engineer from another station closer to the bar but had seen no sign of Stacy all night. It was probably just as well, he thought to himself. He began to stand up when he was cut off by an old face.

"You're the guy from last year. Schemer, isn't it?" Michelle asked questioningly as she stepped in front of him.

He inwardly cringed. He didn't really want to have to deal with this. "Hi Michelle." He said simply.

"I'm a little angry with you, you were quite unfriendly last year." She said, pretending to be hurt.

He couldn't really tell whether or not she was serious. She was quite fickle and he couldn't tell if she were actually into him or just upset that he had snubbed her and wanted his attention. "Err, right, sorry about that." He said lamely.

She grinned quickly at his apology. "Good, now that's settled. Why don't we get reacquainted?" She asked and grabbed his hand quickly. He realized that he getting pulled towards the dance floor.

"I'm not sure that I want-" He began to say but as she stopped pulling his hand something else came into his view. Stacy was dancing, quite close at that, with another man. His heart flared angrily. Well, he thought, I guess she just played me for a sucker. He turned back towards Michelle.

"Want to dance?" He asked boldly and placed both hands on her waist. She grinned wickedly.

"I thought you'd never ask." She said deviously. They began to dance, and he slowly had them inch closer to Stacy and her "friend". Not so close that they were beside each other but close enough that she could see him. From the corner of his eye he saw her stare in his direction with an unreadable expression. She eventually tore her gaze away and turned back to her own partner.

Michelle gripped Schemer's shoulders and leaned up to his ear. "I always thought you were cute." She whispered. He grinned as he watched Stacy from the corner of his eye. She was making slight head movements to keep him in her sight. Perfect, he thought to himself, let's just keep this going.

He placed both hands on Michelle's chin. "You're pretty cute yourself." He said seriously. Schemer realized what he was doing. He knew he was being a jerk. He knew he was being sleazy and slimy and everything people had ever accused him of being. Part of him felt disgusted, the other part felt like causing Stacy a small amount of pain to make up for the empty feeling that she had left him with. He knew it was immature, but he wanted just a small revenge. Just something to get her attention. He knew it was working, she was watching him intently. But at that moment, that immature and heartbroken part of him won out and he sunk to a new low. He pulled Michelle's face towards his and kissed her on the lips. He didn't enjoy it and the moment he did it he felt terrible. He had just used another girl to make Stacy jealous and instantly regretted it.

When they broke apart he looked up to see Stacy, alone, staring at him. He looked at her and watched her face crumble as she walked towards the exit of the hall. The reality of what he had done sunk in.

"Oh my..." He turned to Michelle, who was none the wiser, "I'm so sorry." He said quickly as he broke apart from her. He walked after Stacy, leaving a confused Michelle on the dance floor. He followed her out into the parking lot and caught up to her as she was heading towards her car.

"Stacy, wait!" He said urgently and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She viciously fought from his grip. "Don't you touch me." She snarled. "You, you, you Schemer! You're a snake!"

"To be fair, you made it quite clear that we were not together." He said, feeling the coldness rising within him. He knew that she was upset but he was too. She hadn't exactly been easy on him either.

"Yeah, I did. But at least when I dance with someone else I don't make a point of kissing them in front of the person I had been dating but a few days ago!" She shouted angrily.

"You broke up with me!" He shouted back. "Don't try and turn me into the complete villain here!"

"Whatever Schemer, why don't you get back to your little friend back there. I think she'll enjoy being played like a dummy some more." She said snidely.

"You mean just like you played me!" He said through clenched teeth.

"Enough!" A voice rang out. Stacy had opened her mouth to retort and Schemer had at first thought that it had come from her. But the voice was far too masculine to belong to her. They both turned around simultaneously. There, in the parking lot, stood Mr. J.B. King. He was flanked by Paul Miller who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Unfortunately, Mr. King did not share Paul's humour and gazed at the two of them seriously.

"Both of you better follow me." He said dangerously before turning on his heels. They looked at each other briefly before following quickly. Schemer had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as Mr. King lead them straight an office in the hall. He sat down behind the large desk and Paul stood beside him. He regarded them with discontent in his eyes as they filed into the room and stood in front of him.

"You know, I never would've believed it. Even though Paul kept mentioning it, I still couldn't bring myself to believe it. I should've trusted him though, perhaps we could have prevented a scene from being made out there." He said seriously. "You've met Paul? He's the General Manager here at Snarlyville Station and is a candidate to be the new co-owner of the Indian Valley Railroad. I should have known I could trust someone in his position."

Stacy began to speak. "Please, Mr. King-"

"Be quiet Ms. Jones!" He snapped. She shut her mouth quickly, biting her lip. He took a deep breath. "This is bad business, very bad business. Two employees at the same station having a relationship for, what was it, six months or so?" He asked.

When neither answered he raised his voice slightly. "Well?" He asked, slightly louder.

Stacy finally nodded. "Yes Mr. King." She admitted softly.

"And I was LIED TO!" He bellowed. They both winced. Schemer looked at Stacy with a mixture of confusion.

"Yes Schemer, Miss Jones brazenly lied to me about the status of your relationship the other day. Didn't you know?" He questioned.

He hadn't, obviously, but still wanted to do something to help. He had acted unforgivably tonight. "Maybe I can explain sir." Schemer tried to say.

Mr. King gazed at him, reading his face intently. "Perhaps, but I need to review my options here regarding you two."

Paul began to speak. "Well, termination is always an option." Mr. King regarded him.

"Perhaps, but I do want to hear a little bit more before I make any decisions." He said slowly.

"If I may sir?" Schemer said, all eyes turned to him as he had spoken out of turn twice now. He swallowed as all eyes fell on him. He knew what he had to do and say.

"Fine, what is it Schemer?" Mr. King asked tiredly.

"First of all, I agree that what we did, what I did, was completely wrong. From beginning to end, especially the end." He said with a nod. "But I did want to ask, please don't punish Stacy for something that was my fault." He said gently.

Stacy cocked her head to the side, looking confused. But Mr. King looked mildly interested. "Go on." He prodded.

Schemer sighed. "Stacy, she didn't really feel comfortable from the beginning. I was the driving force I guess you could say. I mean, I didn't force her to do anything, that's not what I meant." He hurriedly explained himself. "But really, it was all my fault. I have to take all the blame for this one." He looked at Mr. King pleadingly.

"Explain Schemer, tell me exactly how it went." He said seriously.

Schemer sighed. "She knew it might not be wise to start a relationship in the workplace but I convinced her that it might be a good idea. And I told her the morning that I made her late, by accident of course, that if she were to get into trouble with you to lie about our relationship. It was stupid of me and I know I made some bad decisions and gave even worse advice. But if anyone is to blame it's me." He lied right to Mr. King's face.

Stacy sat in silent shock, not really believing what he was trying to do. Mr. King looked at her. "What about you Stacy? You tried to go along with him in his rule breaking, did you not? Obviously you two stayed together for some time." He turned to her.

"I... Yes, I guess I did." She said, still trying to get over her shock. "I didn't want any of this to happen though. I don't think either of us meant to cause trouble. And neither of us certainly wanted to make me late that one day. It was never our intention." She began.

Mr. King raised his eyebrows. "I can last believe that, no one wants to intentionally lose their job. Well Schemer, I'm a little bit shocked at your honesty. But since you're all for taking the blame, I think you know what an appropriate punishment would be." He questioned.

Schemer looked at Stacy briefly but blinked back to Mr. King quickly. "If I come up with a punishment for myself that you deem appropriate enough, can we agree that Stacy gets off the hook and keeps her job at Shining Time Station?" Schemer asked, he nervously gripped the fabric at his knees.

"What's the punishment, exactly?" He asked.

Schemer looked down at the floor and up again. He knew what punishment would be acceptable. "I'll hand in my lease, all deposits can be kept and cashed, and my machines will be moved out of the station by the end of the week." He said with a slight waiver to his voice.

Stacy felt her heart sink and her mouth dropped in shock as she looked at him. "Schemer... You can't be serious..." She said.

He didn't meet her gaze. "I am. What do you say Mr. King?" He asked.

Mr. King regarded his offer for a moment. The room's other three occupants looked on in anticipation.

"I accept." He said simply and sighed. "Bad business." He said sadly and shook his head. Stacy hunched her shoulders forward. Schemer's eyes passed over her face reading a combination of what he thought appeared to be shock and... guilt?

Paul's face broke out into a smirk. This was better than he had ever hoped for.

Schemer stood up with an emotionless expression on his face. Mr. King turned to him. "Schemer, stay back for a moment. I'd like to speak to you alone for a moment." He said and the other two excused themselves quietly. Stacy tried to meet Schemer's gaze once more but he still stubbornly avoided hers.

Once they had both left Mr. King turned to Schemer. "Now, I want you to know something. I am not happy with what the two of you did, not one bit. And I'm not stupid, I know that this was not entirely your doing regardless of what you've said. But nonetheless, I don't want you to walk away with absolutely nothing. I have no reason to offer you any favours because you went behind my back, but, I'm not heartless." He explained sternly.

Schemer looked up curiously.

"I have a position that had opened up. It's just an administrative and customer service position, kind of like Ms. Jones' job but with less responsibilities for trains and schedules. I want you to take it." He said, slightly gentler.

Schemer regarded him with slight shock. "Mr. King, are you sure?" He asked.

"Of course I'm sure." He snapped. "Now you better take it before I change my mind."

Schemer nodded. "Where is it?" He asked.

"It's in Dillylick, unfortunately it is a good four hours from Shining Time Station."

Schemer paused momentarily. "I'll take it." He said, with a sad smile. "I... appreciate it Mr. King. Thank you." He got up to leave.

"Good, now it's been a long night. I think we all want to go home." He said with a disappointed sigh.

Schemer just nodded. "I understand, thank you Mr. King." He said as he exited the office. He didn't stop walking until he was out of the office, the building and finally into the parking lot at his car. He walked past Paul in the front foyer who looked like the cat who swallowed the canary and said nothing. He walked past Billy at the entrance who looked at him worried and said nothing. He walked up to his car where Stacy was standing.

"Schemer, what happened exactly?" She asked, trying to read his eyes.

He looked at her... and said nothing. He got into his car and drove off, avoiding saying a single word to anybody.

* * *

Schemer pulled into his driveway, gratefully taking in the shelter it provided from the rest of the world. He rubbed his head with both hands and felt a headache coming on. He didn't know exactly where to go from here. Mr. King had given him the option of taking a job elsewhere, at the very least it was something. And maybe there was still hope of him and Stacy being together...

His heart gave a pang of sorrow. But could they be together? This night had created so many wounds on his heart. He now felt that the whole thing was a mistake. She was right to be hesitant in the beginning. It would, and did, only end in heartbreak. She was right and he should have listened to her. They couldn't go back to being friends, not after all that had happened. He could never be comfortable with that. Because, well...

... He loved her. His heart gave another pang as he admitted it to himself. But then, he had always loved her. To some level at least. It only became obvious to him in recent years but the attraction was always there. Now that he had been in some sort of relationship with her, whatever it could be called exactly, he could never go back to being just friends.

He tried rubbing his forehead again, slow circles with his fingers. The headache was getting worse, he could feel his head pounding like a bass guitar.

... Wait, bass guitar? When did pounding have a musical feel to it? His eyes shot open and he listened carefully. He was definitely hearing music booming from somewhere. Somewhere close. His mind started reeling. Schemee, home, alone, music pounding... Uh, oh. He was out of the car like a shot. Dashing around the hedges that blocked his house from view, he turned to face his home, horrified at what met his eyes.

He had found the source of music. The house seemed to be shaking with it's heavy tone. It was alive with activity and teeming with people. All lights seemed to be on in the house, illuminating it like some giant beacon. A giant beacon that was attracting teenagers to it like flies to a lightbulb. They were everywhere, and there were definite signs that they were consuming alcohol. None seemed to notice his presence.

A wave of anger rushed through him. "Schemee." He hissed through his teeth before charging into the house, ready to face the hoards of teenagers. He squeezed through the house as best he could but it seemed as if they had packed themselves in as far as they could go. Some seemed to recognize him as an adult figure and left for the door before any real trouble could happen. Unbeknownst to him, a familiar blonde recognized him and made a beeline for the stairs to try and get to the den. As Schemer continued to prowl the house, Dan burst into Schemer's upstairs den to try and warn his friend.

"Schemee! You have to get everyone out of here!" He hollered. Schemee sat on the sole couch in the room with Becky and Kara. Becky and Kara looked worried, they had come upstairs with Schemee to try and avoid the madness that was the downstairs. Schemee looked fairly nonchalant.

"Come on Dan, it's not even midnight. My uncle won't be back until at least two in the morning, if he even comes back at all. I'll get rid of everyone long before then. Besides, they're all having fun and it's not too wild. This will do wonders for my popularity." He said smugly.

"No Schemee, it's a zoo down there! And besides I just saw-" Dan began to say but got cut off by Kara.

"Schemee, I think this was a bad idea." She admitted.

He narrowed his eyes, "But you put me up to it!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, but I think Dan's right. We should clear everyone out. Come on Becky, let's go start getting people out of here." She said, grabbing Becky's arm and helping her up. As the two girls left the room, Schemee began to follow them. Dan followed in hot pursuit, desperately trying to get his attention.

"Schemee please!" He called.

"Not now Dan, I'm going to go see how much you're all overreacting. See, it's not that b... Oh..." He trailed off as he saw the sheer number of people that crowded the downstairs. It was wall to wall, it was as bad as his friends said it was. As bad as they had warned him it would get, worse than that. It was completely out of hand.

He walked downstairs and elbowed his way through the crowd and made his way into the kitchen. Dan was following him closely, yelling something indiscernible at him. He couldn't be bothered right now, he had to get these people out. They made their way to the kitchen. A surprising few people seemed to occupy the room, he cleared his throat.

"You guys have to get out. Party's over, spread the word." He said seriously.

They groaned in disappointment and cleared the room. The kitchen itself was very near trashed. There was garbage overflowing onto the floor and every counter top and floor tile seemed to be covered in some sticky substance. Schemee and Dan stood with their back to the door.

"Schemee..." Dan started to say as he looked towards the kitchen doorway.

"Not now Dan!" Schemee hissed, I have to figure out how to get rid of this mess.

"Schemee, you might want to..."

"Dan! Shhh! I'm trying to come up with a 'genius time'!" He snapped, still not facing the doorway.

"Schemee!" Dan near shouted.

"What?" Schemee snapped back, just as a hand clamped down hard on his shoulder. He froze, not daring to turn around. A familiar voice floated dangerously to his ear from over his left shoulder.

"Jonathan Schemer... What have you done?"

It was a simple question. Very simple indeed. But Jonathan "Schemee" Schemer found he had no answer. The fact that his whole name had been used meant that he was in very, very big trouble. His shoulders sagged under his Uncle's vice grip and he found that he could not bring himself to turn and face him.

"I... I don't know." Was all he could say. It left his mouth in a small voice and he suddenly felt like he was five years old again. He almost wished he were five years old again. No five year old could ever mess up this badly.

The grip on his shoulder was released. He still couldn't bring himself to turn around. He continued to face the wall with his shoulders hunched as his Uncle spoke again. Though this time it was not directed at him.

"Dan, I need you, Becky and Kara to get rid of these people immediately. Get them to call their parents... I'll have a lot of phone calls to deal with later, I'm sure. If they're not leaving, advise them that the police will be called in fifteen minutes to make them leave." He instructed sternly.

Dan gulped. "Yes, sir." He said shakily. Schemee knew at that minute that his Uncle was beyond anger. Dan would never call him 'Sir' unless he were scared witless. A tremor tore through his body. His hands became shaky and clammy. His heart was racing as he waited for his Uncle to turn back to him. He heard Dan leave and waited in silent terror. It felt like ages until his Uncle spoke again.

"Look at me." He said softly, but Schemee could hear the anger and disappointment in his voice. He hesitated for a moment but his Uncle had no patience left.

"Now!" He barked angrily and Schemee felt two strong hands placed on his shoulders. He was turned sharply and forced to face his Uncle. He was shaking full out now and somehow forced himself to raise his gaze to his Uncle's face. They met eye to eye and Schemee felt a deep pang of guilt.

Schemer stared at him wordlessly. His arms were folded across his chest and he was leaning up against the island countertop. The silence was terrible but the look on his face was worse. His eyebrows were very nearly V-shaped and his mouth was twisted in an almost contemplative look. Schemee could feel the heat of his gaze, cold fury burned at him. He felt like he could neither stand to look at him or tear his gaze away from his Uncle's. He couldn't tell if his Uncle was going to say anything or wanted Schemee to speak. Because he couldn't bear the silence, Schemee finally opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry... I... I didn't know." He managed to choke out. His voice was shaky and he felt a lump burning in his throat.

Schemer continued to stare down at him for a another endless moment. Schemee lowered his eyes to the floor, unable to continue looking at him.

"You're sorry? You didn't know?" Schemer sneered. "No great excuse, no made up story of how you attempted to fight off the wild crowds? I am surprised Jonathan, I thought you had everything planned out to a tee."

Jonathan looked up to his Uncle's mocking face. "I don't have an excuse..." He began to mumble but was cut off with his Uncle slamming his open palm down on the counter.

"NO!" He shouted. "No! No Jonathan, you do NOT have an excuse! There is no excuse in the world that could possibly explain what happened here tonight. You went behind my back! You, you took advantage of my trust! You've got no excuse, all you've got is the knowledge that you cannot talk your way out of this. And me? All I've got is the knowledge that I was stupid to think that you could be trusted with something so small. What possessed you to think that you could throw a house party and clear it all up without me noticing? What possibly made you think this was a good idea?" Schemer launched full into his tirade.

"I don't know." He repeated quietly. "It just seemed like it was something I could do. I felt like I could have a few friends over, just to show you that I could handle everything and not let things get crazy. But they... got out of hand."

"Got out of hand?" Schemer gave a humourless laugh. "That's the only truthful thing you've said to me all night. My home is very nearly trashed because I left you alone for a few short hours. I knew this was a bad idea, how did I ever let you talk me into this?" He whipped and faced away from Schemee. His hands clasped behind his back.

Schemee waited for his punishment to come, or for his Uncle to continue yelling, or to continue to be told that he was irresponsible and the like. Instead, his Uncle delivered the worst blow.

"I'm very disappointed in you Jonathan." Was all he said. The word 'disappointed' hit Schemee like a ton of bricks. Schemer's eyes were now filled with a combination of betrayal and the very disappointment he had mentioned. Schemee felt like a small child again. He wanted to cry because he felt there was nothing else he could do. He wanted to feel like his Uncle trusted him again and wasn't disappointed in him but he felt like he had permanently ruined their relationship. Sure it was easy going most of the time, Schemee saw his Uncle as one of his best friends. But at the same time Schemee always saw him as his guardian. He looked up to him like a child would a parent, to have his Uncle distrust him was unbearable. He wanted to tell him how much he respected him and how sorry he was but couldn't find the words.

Schemer gave him one last disdainful look before sweeping out of the room, leaving Schemee rooted to the spot. Dan entered shortly after.

"Hey." He said softly. When Schemee didn't answer, he continued. "My Mom's outside talking to your Uncle. She's really mad at me and wants me to help clean up. I think Becky and Kara's parents are thinking the same thing. We got everyone else out though." He explained.

Schemee nodded. "Then we have a big job ahead of us." He said as he began to clean the kitchen.

Much later that night, after everything was spotless once more and Dan, Kara and Becky had been picked up, Schemee crept upstairs. He went straight to his Uncle's den to see if he was there. As expected, it was empty. He went over to his Uncle's bedroom and swallowed heavily before entering.

His Uncle was lying on his side, facing away from the door. Schemee was fairly certain that he was still awake because he still had his clothes on from the day and was on top of the covers. Schemee took a deep breath.

"Uncle Schemer?" No response, not even a twitch. Definitely awake then.

"Uncle Schemer. I'm sorry, I... I really am. Everything is clean now, I promise." He said aloud, the shakiness creeping into his voice again.

Schemer shifted slightly on the bed. Schemee perked his ears, hoping for a word or hint of forgiveness. His response was not what he had hoped for.

"Go to bed, Schemee." His Uncle's deep voice rang out clearly through the darkness. It was quite clear he had not been sleeping.

"But..." Schemee began to say.

"Go." He said simply yet sternly, his back still facing his nephew. Schemee bit his lip and a tear slid down his face. To him that translated as 'Get out of my sight' or 'I don't want you in my presence'.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as he slid the door shut and left to go to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Understanding and Promises - Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Authoresses Note: Here's the latest chapter! I hope you all like that I've been putting them out quickly. I'm doing my best to finish or come close to finishing this before school starts. Enjoy everyone and thanks to all my reviewers, this is for you!

**Revised on May 1, 2013. **

* * *

Stacy waited impatiently. He had to come in today, he just had to. In the impromptu "meeting" that had happened with Mr. King yesterday it had been agreed that he would move out at the end of the week. He only had two days... Still, even if he didn't come in today, he would have to come in sometime. The clock struck noon, Stacy looked at it and sighed. She sunk slowly in her chair and supported her chin with her elbows. He usually came in right when the station opened, despite that fact at he made his own business and could come in at anytime he desired. He was almost never late when it came to the arcade, he was always at the Station.

Well, he used to be at least. Stacy felt terrible, awful, for the previous night. Sure, he had essentially started the outburst for that particular night but he wasn't the sole cause. They both shouted, they both yelled. She knew she should have handled it better but she let her emotions take over. What he did was stupid but he was just doing it out of the hurt he truly felt. The hurt that she had caused him. He was right about what he said too. She had made it clear that they were over. She had no claim over him, no right to be upset with him. But the sight of him kissing another woman sent her over the edge. She couldn't stand to watch it, it evoked such a jealousy in her that she couldn't control it. She sighed again, it was clear to her how she wasn't over him.

She folded her arms on her desk and rested her head on it. She didn't hear anyone enter the Station and was surprised to hear someone clear their throat. She opened one eye and saw someone standing in front of her desk. She whipped her head up to see Schemer looking down at her with an peculiar expression. It wasn't happy, that was a given, but it was neutral in the sense that he showed no particular emotion.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you startled me." She mumbled embarrassedly.

His expression didn't change, nor did he respond to what she said. "Do try to act more professional. Just because you still have your job doesn't mean that you're completely safe. Mr. King probably wouldn't be too impressed to see you sleeping at your desk." He said, sounding snarky.

"I wasn't... Where have you been?" She asked. Her brown eyes were filled with concern.

"What does it matter?" He asked coldly. "I didn't come to stay for long. I'm just returning this and leaving." He produced a key from his pocket. It was his copy of the key to the Station.

"Oh, right. Thanks Schemer." She said.

He nodded and turned to leave, his head held high and shoulders straight. She bit her lip and stood up. "Wait!" She called. He stopped and turned around slowly, looking slightly annoyed.

"Yes Ms. Jones? I have a lot of things to arrange so let's keep it brief, hmm?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

She walked up to him slowly and stopped until they were about three feet apart. "I'm sorry." She whispered, her eyes glistened with tears. "I, back there, I should have done more. I should have stood up for you, I was just too shocked."

He breathed in slowly. "If you had stood up for me we both would have been kicked out. Someone had to resign or else who know what would have happened. That Paul guy pretty much has King wrapped around his finger. He could have convinced him. Better it be me than you."

"I didn't want this to happen." She said softly.

"And you think I did?" He asked sounding irritated. "You think I wanted to just pull the plug on my otherwise smooth running business? No Ms. Jones, I didn't want this to happen either, but something had to be done." He looked away pointedly.

"Thank you, I think what you did was really brave." She said honestly.

He looked back at her, traces of sadness leaking through his cool mask. "I knew, and have known since I had either liked or dated you, that had it ever come down to me or the Station I never would have stood a chance. I didn't want to have to make you choose and have me see what I already knew. I'm packing up tomorrow, I know Sunday is your day off so I probably won't see you. Consider this my parting gift to you, the Station is still yours." He once again turned on his heel and began to leave. This time his head was hung slightly and there was a small hunch to his shoulders.

"Schemer!" She called one last time. He stopped but didn't turn around.

"Ms. Jones?" He asked. There was a definite waiver to his voice and she thought she heard it crack slightly.

She walked up to him once more and this time stopped a foot away from him. He raised a hand to his face and distinctly wiped his eyes before turning to face her once more. As she looked up at him she could tell that he too was fighting back tears. She didn't say anything further and wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. The tears that threatened to spill from her eyes finally broke through and she gave a sob into his plaid suit jacket. At first he kept his arms at his side but eventually she felt them wrap around her shoulders. He pulled her close and rested his head on the top of hers briefly.

"Please, don't leave for good. I know you got another job, and I'm happy you at least got something, but it'll be hard not being able to see you at the Station. Please promise me that you'll come back and visit?" She pleaded as she looked up at him.

He at first he said nothing but as he broke apart from her he nodded. "I'll try." He gripped her hand with his briefly. "Please, promise me that you won't come in tomorrow. It'll be hard enough as it is." He asked.

"I'll, okay, I won't." She agreed sadly. More tears spilled from her eyes. He nodded with a sad smile. Giving her hand one last squeeze he leaned forward and kissed her on the top of her head. And then he was gone. Stacy opened her eyes to see that he had released her hand and was already heading out to his car.

* * *

The next day...

Schemee was torn. He couldn't tell if he was happy that he was on Christmas vacation and didn't have to deal with anybody from school or if he wanted to go back and deal with them instead of his Uncle. It had been two days since the party and he had scarcely said a word to his nephew. Schemee wasn't even sure if he was grounded or not as Schemer had never set a real punishment. He was probably aware that not talking to his nephew was punishment enough, it was eating Schemee up inside.

Currently, Schemee was sitting at the kitchen table while his Uncle got ready for work. He was in the middle of breakfast when the phone rang.

"Hello?" He asked glumly.

"Schemee?" Dan's voice asked. "How are you?"

He sighed. "Alright, I guess. You?"

"Meh, okay. Did you want to walk over to the station today, Becky and Kara were going to meet us. I'm grounded but my mom figured that we had a few things to talk out. Besides, Aunt Stacy is always up for watching us."

Schemee thought. "I'm not sure... Hang on a second."

His Uncle had just walked into the room. "Uncle Schemer?" He asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Was the only reply as he tied his tie around his neck.

"Um, could I go with Dan, Backy and Kara and walk to the Station?"

"Fine." He said simply. "I'm leaving for work." He swept out of the room without another word.

Schemee turned back to the phone. "Yes... I'll walk over to your house and meet you there. Bye." He said as they both hung up.

Becky and Kara were already there when Schemee walked up. They smiled sadly as he walked up and said soft 'hello's.

"Hey." He said softly. "Shall we go?" He asked. The other three nodded. The walk began in silence, all four felt some share of guilt. Kara was the one who broke the silence.

"I'm really sorry, Schemee. I feel like it's all my fault." She admitted quietly.

He shook his head. "No... It's all my fault, I never should have thought it was a good idea in the first place. Besides, I was in charge and I messed up... Badly." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his gloved hand.

"I feel pretty bad too, Schemee." Becky admitted while Dan nodded. "I mean, I can't lie and say I liked the whole idea in the first place but I feel I didn't fight hard enough."

Schemee shook his head with a sad grin. "It's not your fault, or yours Dan."

"So was your Uncle mad?" Becky asked.

Schemee gave a humourless laugh. "I've never seen him so mad in my life. He didn't shout, much. But still, he was just so...so..." He struggled for words.

"Disappointed?" Kara offered.

He nodded. "Yeah, exactly."

"That's the worst. I hate it when my parents are disappointed in me." Dan said, shuddering. They other three nodded in earnest.

"I know you're worried, but it won't last forever. Once the whole thing with the arcade blows over he'll be better." Becky said in a comforting way.

"Yeah, I don't mean to pry, but what are you guys going to do about that anyways?" Kara asked.

Schemee frowned in confusion. "Errr, what? Going to do about what?" He asked.

Dan's eyes widened. "Uh-oh... I forgot, you weren't at the station yesterday when we found out. Did your Uncle talk to you?" He asked worriedly.

"Talk to me about what?" Schemee asked, feeling panic rising. "What do you know that I don't?"

The three stopped in their tracks. He turned to face them. "Tell me." He pleaded.

"Schemee... Your Uncle was forced to terminate his lease. The arcade is being shut down." Becky explained gently. Schemee's mouth hung open.

"When? When did this happen?" He asked, feeling hurt and confused.

"Two days ago, the night of the party. It happened before he came home, that's why he was home early." Dan said softly. "I'm really sorry, Schemee. I thought, we thought, you knew."

Schemee closed his mouth and looked contemplative. He shook his head in shock. "I have to go, I have to get to the Station." He said suddenly. He turn on his heels and broke out into a run. The other three yelled after him but he didn't stop, he couldn't stop. He had to talk to his Uncle. He didn't stop running until he reached Shining Time Station. By that point he had a stitch in his side and stopped for a scant few seconds before barging inside.

Schemer was talking to Billy as Schemee walked in. They seemed to be in a deep and serious conversation beside the juke box. Schemee floated off to the side and waited for them to finish, or for one of them to notice them. They moved a bit closer and Schemee caught the tail end of their conversation.

"I'll put together a spot in storage. They can stay there for as long as you need them to be." Billy said.

Schemer nodded gratefully. "Thanks Billy." Billy gave a nod before heading back to his office. And Schemer turned to look at Schemee. His gaze didn't carry any of his usual warmth of mischievousness. Schemee could have sworn that he looked happy to see him for a split second before his face took the impassive look that Schemee was growing accustomed to. He gave a quick jerk of his head towards the arcade as a motion for Schemee to follow. Once they were in the tucked away area of the arcade Schemer turned to face him.

"I thought you said you were coming with your friends." Schemer said, sounding slightly suspicious.

"I was, well, am. They're on the way." He admitted. He paused before blurting out the question that was weighing on his mind. "Why didn't you tell me that you lost the arcade?" He felt slightly hurt that his Uncle hadn't confided in him, even though he was disappointed in him.

Schemer shrugged. "I didn't 'lose' the arcade. All the machines are still mine. It's this space that I no longer have. Besides, I figured I didn't have to tell you. You seem to have had a good lesson in how talking through the grapevine works. Word gets around." He said somewhat smugly.

Schemee gritted his teeth. "But you didn't tell me! There's so much that you've kept from me lately!" He pleaded somewhat angrily.

Schemer's eyes narrowed down at him. "Since when did I have to share every detail with you? Just because you live with me doesn't mean you're entitled to know everything about me."

Schemee opened and closed his mouth without making a sound. Schemer turned around to face the jukebox. "I have until tomorrow to pack up. Billy's keeping my machines for me until I can figure out what to do with them." He placed a hand on top of the jukebox. "Besides, this old thing is too creepy for me to bring with me... I mean really, it plays on it's own all the time. And then sometimes it doesn't play when you put a nickel in. It's haunted... Who would ever want it?" He asked aloud, Schemee wasn't quite sure if he was talking to him or not.

"You would." Schemee said simply. Schemer's expression softened a little bit. He removed his hand hesitantly from the old jukebox. At first he didn't say anything, he just stared at it.

But finally, "Yes, I would." He said quietly. He took a step back and observed his arcade. He felt quite emotional. This would be the last time he would ever see it again. Altogether and all pieces present at Shining Time Station. Never again would he walk in for a day's work and say good morning to his friends. He would never get to banter with Stacy and poke fun at Billy. His arcade, his 'Kingdom', was finally being overthrown.

Schemee, though he was still stung by a few of his Uncle's comments, couldn't help but feel sorry. He could somehow understand why his Uncle was acting especially snappish. On some level, he didn't blame him. His business was essentially shut down and who knew what he was going to do now.

As if reading his nephew's mind, Schemer spoke up. "I have another job. Mr. King allowed me to take a position elsewhere." He explained quietly.

Schemee nodded and placed a hand on his Uncle's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I know how much it meant to you." He said sincerely. He wasn't just trying to get back into his good graces, he genuinely meant it.

Schemer smiled, but it was a ghost of his trademark grin and barely contained any happiness. Though to Schemee, it was still better than nothing. He turned to Schemee.

"I need you to go home. Go pack up anything you'd need for a long stay somewhere. Clothes, school clothes, anything you need. Try to keep it somewhat light, though." He explained.

Schemee's eyes widened. "But, I thought we'd still be at the house?" He questioned worriedly.

"No, not at the house. You'll still be at the same school, and relatively close to Shining Time Station, but the house won't work. Bring any necessities and leave everything else. I still need to sort out what to do with the house so we'll be leaving most things there."

Schemee nodded sadly. "Okay, should I go now?"

"Soon. Could you help me with something first?" Schemer inquired softly.

"Sure, what is it?" Schemee asked, wondering what it was.

"I need help moving the machines. We have a few trolleys to roll them out to the storage room but I'll need help carrying them out. I want this over with as soon as possible and your help would mean a lot." He said sincerely. Schemee felt somewhat touched that he was asking him to help tear down his precious set up. It was obviously quite hard on Schemer.

They worked mostly in silence. Schemer gave the occasional direction or brief statement of sentiment as they loaded the machines. Quick stories on where and how he obtained them. They made several trips and the jukebox was the last to go. Schemee looked on at it and turned to Schemer.

"Uncle Schemer, where did the jukebox come from?" He asked curiously. Schemee wondered why he had never thought of it before. The jukebox had been there as long as he could remember. He always seemed to accept that it was always there, but he never wondered where it had come from until now. Now that it was being loaded up and moved into storage.

Schemer paused briefly before answering. "That jukebox, I actually got it from when I knew your father."

Schemee looked up suddenly. It was very rare to hear anything said about his father and his interest was piqued.

"Really? How did you get it exactly?" He was dying to hear more.

Schemer looked slightly uncomfortable. As he always did when he talked about his past, Schemee realized he knew very little about his Uncle. He was quite reserved despite having such a loud personality.

"Well... You know that we were in business together, right? He started it, but when he met me he knew that I was perfect for running it. You know, he could see what an excellent businessman I was." He said, some of his cockiness shining through.

Schemee rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. Go on." He wanted to hear more about his uncle and father.

"Anyways, we ran an antique shop sort of deal. We bought and sold novelty and antique items, to say the least. The jukebox came in one day. Well, it wasn't really brought in. It was dropped off overnight and we found it in the morning. Someone had just sort of gotten rid of it. After we checked it out to make sure it was safe to use and working well we added it to the inventory. By that time though the business was very nearly done. When it went under shortly after your father passed away and it was the one thing I couldn't get rid of. I felt like it had been left there for a reason, so I took it with me." He said simply.

"And you started the arcade with it as your centerpiece." Schemee said.

Schemer nodded. "Exactly. Ah, here we are." He said. The trolley had arrived at the storage room. The two lifted it into the spot left for it with the other machines. Schemer looked at it strangely for a moment. He felt as if his small mark of history at Shining Time Station was being locked away in the room.

"I hope, that at least once more, I'll get to hear it play on it's own. Otherwise, I won't even believe myself when I say it used to do that." Schemer said sadly, he shut the doors with one last forlorn look at his machines. The two walked back to the Station in silence. Though it wasn't until they got back inside that Schemer really felt lost. The Station suddenly looked empty, the corner where the arcade once proudly stood was now blank and vacant.

Schemer walked over slowly. He put one hand on the banister to steady himself. The consequences of what happened were truly sinking in. As he stood in the empty space, Schemee looked on sadly. Schemer stood in front of where the jukebox was once positioned and lowered his head slowly.

Schemee spoke up. "Do you need anymore help?" He asked, hoping there was something he could do to help cheer him up.

Schemer's head snapped back up. "No... Everything is... done now." He said shakily. "If you want, could you go home and pack? Oh and Schemee? Thanks." He said, standing straighter.

Schemee nodded. "Anytime."

* * *

Stacy rushed to the Station in her red Volkswagon Beetle. She knew that she made a promise but she just couldn't help it. There was something important that she had to tell him, and she needed to see him off. It was close to ten am, he had to still be there! She parked hurriedly and ran inside. What awaited her made her heart stop.

The emptiness of the arcade... It was terrible. It was like the Station was empty, the fun and exciting part of it, was gone. She was at loss for words and could only stare at what it had become. A very important piece of the Station had just been removed. It was like watching a train wreck. Several people came into the Station but she couldn't turn around. There was a collective gasp from the group.

"Stacy, what happened?" She heard Midge Smooch ask.

"He's...gone." Was all she could say. She turned around, her brown eyes full of sorrow, to face them. The group consisted of Midge Smooch, Ginny, Barlow from the General store, and Felix Perez.

"Where did he go?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"He had to move suddenly, for a... new job." She said. "Excuse me." She rushed into Billy's office and shut the door behind her, leaving the group to talk amongst themselves.

Billy looked up as she walked in. "Stacy? Are you okay?" He asked with concern in his voice.

She shook her head no. She didn't start crying, she had used up all her tears the previous day. "This is all my fault, isn't it?" She asked.

He shook his head. "It's not, you were just two people in an unfortunate situation." He said.

They didn't speak for awhile until a faded, and out of tune, train whistle sounded. They looked at a spot on Billy's desk where Mr. Conductor appeared. It was much slower than normal and instead of gold dust following him, a grey soot-like matter appeared with him.

He coughed as he appeared and promptly fell over. "Mr. Conductor!" Stacy exclaimed. Billy caught him in the palm of his hand.

"What's wrong Mr. C? Billy asked worriedly.

Mr. Conductor's breathing was laboured. "Remember what I told you about the balance?" He asked. Billy nodded.

He coughed once more. "Well, if it's weak, then I get weak. But if it's broken, I can no longer exist." He coughed again.

Stacy didn't know what the balance was but she knew what he was trying to say. "No, Mr. Conductor! You can't leave us now!" She cried out. Billy looked on with sadness and shock.

"I can't help it... I'm sorry, but it's time for me to go..." He said. "Goodbye, and thank you for being my friends. Tell the children... to be good..." He wheezed.

And for one last time, Mr. Conductor disappeared. The only thing he left behind was a small silver whistle, sitting in the palm of Billy's hand.

* * *

The following day...

Schemee was woken up by Schemer calling his name. His eyes slid open and he checked his bedside clock. Schemer stepped into his room, fully dressed and ready to go as Schemee began to slowly pull himself out of bed.

"Uncle Schemer, it's 6 am." He said groggily.

Schemer checked his watch, "Yes, and we're being expected. Get the rest of your things ready and grab a quick breakfast, I want to be out of here by 7." He said quickly before leaving.

Schemee shrugged and grabbed some clean clothes that weren't packed in his suitcase. His Uncle seemed to have reverted back to his slightly colder self, compared to what he had been in the arcade move the previous day. After showering, eating and gathering up a few more essentials, Schemee walked out to his Uncle's car with his suitcase. The two began their journey just before the clock struck seven.

Schemee slept in the passenger seat for most of the journey, though the drive was only about a half hour or so. It was a nice nap after being woken up at a time he deemed to be quite early in the morning. He was awakened for the second time that morning as they pulled into a bumpy dirt driveway. Schemee opened his eyes to see them pull up to a house at the end of the long driveway. They were somewhere out in the open country, the houses on either side were a little ways down the road going both ways.

Schemer quietly exited and Schemee followed suit. Schemee turned to Schemer.

"Is this where we're staying?" He asked.

Schemer responded but didn't answer his question. "Come on, we should get inside and let him know that we're here." He said as he started up the front walk. Schemee had no choice to follow, he assumed he'd find out who 'he' was. Schemer gave a curt knock on the door and waited. A moment later the door was opened by who Schemee could only describe as an older version of his Uncle.

"Horace, you're right on time." The man said with a grin. He had a friendly demeanor. He didn't have a curl on the side of his head like his Uncle did but Schemer could almost pass as his son. They had the same face structure and build, though the older man was slightly taller and had broader shoulders. Instead of having black hair like Schemer, he had a salt and pepper mix of black and grey. He pulled Schemer into a brief embrace. "It's been too long."

"Schemee, this is my Uncle Allcott. Uncle, this is my nephew that I was telling you about." Schemer introduced as the two shook hands. Allcott smiled kindly down on him.

"I've heard quite a bit about you, do you mind if I call you Jonathan? I have this pet peeve with nicknames." He said, throwing an obvious look at Schemer who grinned sheepishly. Schemee shook his head. "Good, good. Both of you, come on inside." He held open the door for them as they entered. He had a fairly large home. It was a big and old country house, most likely an old farmhouse from what Schemee could tell.

They followed Allcott into the kitchen where he served them some tea and they chatted lightly. Schemee noticed that his Uncle was uncharacteristically quiet, though he assumed that it was because he seemed to hold a lot of respect for his older Uncle and had quietened his boisterous personality. Allcott seemed to have a distinctly opposite personality to Schemer. While he was friendly, he was also quiet. Yet he had a knack for appearing as if he were focusing deeply on someone when they spoke to him. In turn, he maintained people's attention on himself without effort when he spoke.

"So Jonathan, you're Julia's boy, correct?" He asked directly.

Schemee nodded. "Yes, she was my mother."

Allcott placed down his cup of tea. "Yes, you look rather like her. I'm very sorry about your loss, I was quite upset to learn that she had passed." He said sincerely as he placed down his tea.

Schemer, who hadn't spoken up until this point in the conversation, finally opened his mouth. "In case you're wondering, Uncle Allcott is your Great Uncle. He's my Uncle, and obviously your mother's as well, and the twin brother of our father." Schemer explained and Schemee nodded in understanding.

"If you don't mind Uncle, would you be able to show Schemee, err Jonathan, his room and around the house? I've got a few things to get from the car." Schemer asked as he excused himself.

"By all means, my boy. Jonathan, if you may, you can follow me upstairs." Allcott said as the two left towards the upstairs.

As they reached the top step, Allcott spoke again. "You remind me of your Uncle quite a bit, I can tell just by looking at you that you're a lot like him." He commented.

Schemee grinned slightly. "So I've been told."

Allcott looked mildly amused. "Yes, the differences are there but you've taken quite a bit after him. Ah, I'll start with this room first." He said as he pushed open a grand oak door. Schemee gasped a little bit as he entered.

"Wow." He said in awe as he looked around. The room was a mini-library in itself. It was wall to wall with books and even had one of those ladders on wheels attached to the wall to reach the upper levels of books. In the middle of the room was a magnificent looking desk with large, cushy armchairs on either side.

"I'm a retired therapist. As you can see I've gathered quite the collection of books over the years. You're welcome to borrow any you wish, I'm sure I have some subject that will interest you." Allcott explained. "Would you like to see where you will be staying?" He asked.

Schemee nodded and took one last look around the large, circular shaped room. He followed Allcott out and back down the hallway again. He was pointed out various rooms such as the bathroom and hall closets. They finally stood in front of a door at the opposite end of the long hallway.

"This is where your Uncle stayed when he came to live with me." Allcott said as he opened the door for them. The room was spacious and contained a large bed in the middle. It was complete with a television, bedside table, alarm clock and dresser. It looked like a comfortable place to stay.

"When did he live with you?" Schemee asked curiously.

"A number of years ago. When he was about eighteen or so. He was in a bit of trouble, spent a bit too much time in the nearby city and got caught up with the wrong crowd." He explained, though Schemee could tell he was deliberately downplaying certain events.

"Err, what sort of trouble?" Schemee asked, he couldn't help himself.

Allcott laughed, "It's probably better you ask your Uncle that yourself. We should probably head back downstairs now, I'll show you the grounds a little bit later but for now I believe your Uncle is waiting." He said.

Schemee followed him back downstairs, and his mind started turning different points of the conversation back in his brain. "Excuse me?" He asked, not knowing how to address Allcott.

"You can call me Allcott, Uncle or Uncle Allcott. Whichever you prefer." He said kindly.

"Thanks, Uncle Allcott then. If I'm staying in my Uncle's old room, where will he be staying?" Schemee asked shrewdly as they climbed down the final steps and turned the corner. Schemer came back into view, standing in the front hallway with a single suitcase beside him. Schemee's suitcase. Schemee froze as he took in the sight. His Uncle watched him calmly from the entrance way.

"I'll leave you two be, let me know when you're heading out Horace." He said gently as he turned towards the kitchen. Schemee followed him with his eyes, before turning back to face his Uncle. Schemer seemed to be deliberately avoiding his eye and was occupying himself with a loose string on his suit jacket.

Schemee felt the anger rise within him. His nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. "You... You tricked me." He said angrily.

Schemer finally met his eyes. "I did no such thing." He said, though his eyes betrayed his guilt. "I never lied to you."

"Yeah, but you never told the truth either!" Schemee said in fury. "You really are a Schemer!"

Schemer nodded, though there was a sad smile on his face. "I can only be what I am. Besides, it was the only way I could get you to come all this way without having you put up a big fuss. You can stay in your school and still stay close to your friends this way." He pointed out.

"You're just trying to punish me! You're still bitter about the party and can't bring yourself to live with me now that you have a way out!" Schemee near shouted, accusations were the only comfort right now.

Schemer frowned. "If I wanted to punish you I wouldn't have brought you to live with my Uncle. And no, this has nothing to do with the party." He explained. "My job takes me much farther than Shining Time Station. I'll come visit as often as I can."

He walked past Schemee to go say goodbye to Allcott, who was now upstairs in his study room. When he came back down, Schemee still hadn't moved from his spot. He eyed his Uncle worriedly. Schemer sighed and turned back to face him.

"Stop taking it so personally, I'm not doing this to hurt you. Please believe me, I don't want to leave you behind." He tried to explain, slowly becoming as loss for an explanation.

Schemee clenched his fists. "Really, it sure seems that way." He said through gritted teeth. The look in his eyes made Schemer have to look away. They betrayed the hurt he actually felt. Schemer began to make his way over to his car, knowing that Schemee would follow him there. He turned back to face him once he was at the driver's door.

"You're just going to drive away, aren't you? You're just going to leave me. I'm sorry I was that much of a disappointment, Uncle Schemer." He spat bitterly, putting emphasis on the word 'Uncle'.

Schemer swallowed heavily, trying to keep his calm mask on. He knew he'd take it badly but the calmer he was now, the easier Schemee would see that it was all for the best once he calmed down a bit.

"I'm not leaving for good... I'm just a phone call away... It's not because of you, please know that." Schemer tried to explain, he knew that he better leave soon before he lost his nerve. "Come here, I'll be back in two weeks." He said sadly, placing one hand on each of Schemee's shoulders. Schemee looked away and a tear slid down his face.

The corner of Schemer's mouth twitched. "I'm sorry." He whispered. That seemed to resolve Schemee's nerve. He angrily brushed the tear away and turned to meet Schemer's eyes again. He pulled away from his Uncle's grip and took a step back.

"Go. Go and leave me, I see how it's going to be. You better get to your new life, maybe it'll be be easier now that I'm gone." He hissed angrily. Schemer let his arms drop to his side and slowly made his way into the car. As he started it and was about to back away he stole one last look at his nephew. Schemee was staring at him though there wasn't any anger on his face anymore. There was only abandonment there now and Schemer couldn't bring himself to pull away until Schemee broke their gaze. Schemer watched as he walked back up the front steps without a second glance. Realizing that he was now alone, Schemer pulled out of the driveway.

Schemer drove a little ways up the road until he made his way to an abandoned turn off. It was only then that the emotions of everything that had happened in the past few days caught up with him. The look on his nephew's face was burned in his mind and he found he couldn't stop thinking about it. He took a few deeps gasps, trying to collect himself in vain. It was too late though, the tears started and showed no sign of stopping. Deep sobs wracked his chest and he finally broke down, feeling like life had literally turned him upside down.

* * *

They had decided to strike up a small grave site outside the Station's apple tree. The whistle was buried a few inches below ground, as the only thing they had left of Mr. Conductor, and it was topped by a small engraved stone.

_The perfect friend, confidante, and storyteller. May your knowledge and wisdom carry forward through Shining Time Station, in good times and bad._

_You were the spirit of Shining Time Station, Mr. Conductor. Rest in Peace._

Stacy circled around her station, taking in it's new atmosphere. It had been in her family for so long and years of her life had been devoted to keeping it alive and running. But at what cost? She had few relationships over the years she spent working here and while she was well liked and well known, she spent very little time with the people she knew outside of it's walls. The only real relationship she had was given up to keep her job, and thus keeping her Station. She had to question herself, was it really worth it?

She shook her head. "Of course it was. It had to be." She thought to herself. She stopped in front of the signal house and she felt a pang of loneliness. Mr. Conductor was essentially the mentor of her and most of the other residents of the Station. He would want her to keep the Station alive, wouldn't he?

She continued on in her walk, completely deep in thought. As she came back around to her desk, two men in suits entered. She looked up to see Mr. King and Paul Miller walking up to her. Mr. King looked relatively grim but Paul looked quite contented.

"Afternoon Sir, Paul." She greeted with a slight suspicion.

"Ms. Jones, how do you find yourself?" Mr. King asked tentatively.

"I've been... fine, Sir. And yourself?" She asked politely.

"Just fine. Do you mind if we talk to you in Mr. Twofeather's office? I saw him working outside so I'm assuming that it's unoccupied."

She nodded and followed the two inside. As usual, Mr. King sat behind the desk with Paul flanking him. Stacy chose to stand opposed to sitting. "What did you need to speak to me about, Sir?" She asked. Her outside demeanor was calm but inside she was terrified, what did he have in store for her now?

"Well Ms. Jones, as you know Mr. Miller is a candidate to be the new co-owner of the Indian Valley Railroad. He's currently running almost completely unopposed and is unofficially the co-owner. It won't be official until his swearing in day but it's in the cards." He explained.

Stacy gave a look at Paul that border lined on a glare. He retaliated with a smug look. Mr. King continued on, unaware of any feelings between his employees. "Basically, he needs an office and he knows where he'd like to put it." He said, somewhat delicately.

At first, Stacy frowned. She wasn't sure as to where she came into play with all this. And then it clicked. "He wants to put his office in Shining Time Station." She said through slightly clenched teeth.

"Exactly." Mr. King said cheerfully, unaware of her hostility. "Though I'm sure you're aware, this means you'd be working under him. He is your superior." He pointed out.

She kept her expression neutral and quickly hid her fury. "Yes Mr. King, I'm aware." She replied coolly.

"Good, good. I'll let you get introduced." He said as he left the office. Paul smoothly took over his chair.

"Well, sweet cheeks, it looks like I'll be in charge now." He said. Stacy allowed some of her anger to return to her face.

"Look, I don't care who you are but you will not address me so unprofessionally." She snapped.

He gave a bark of laughter. It was harsh sounding on her ears. "Oh _Ms. Jones, _I thought you were open to relationships in the workplace." He taunted her.

She flushed with anger. "No, not with slime balls like you. Don't look at me like that, I've gotten in enough trouble lately that I don't really care what I say to someone like you. You purposely set us up, I know you did! And now you're trying to pick me up. What are you playing at?" She snapped at him.

A smooth grin took over his face. "I need to be co-owner, let's just say that I'll stop at nothing to make sure that I get it. My first step? Changing that free spot where that gaudy arcade used to stand into my office." He stood up as Mr. King walked back in. "It'll be a pleasure to work with you, Stacy." He said as he held out a hand for her to shake.

She bit the inside of her lip as she accepted it under the eye of her boss. He was up to something, there was no doubt about it.

* * *

I just wanted to let everyone know that this story takes place between the last family special and the Thomas and the Magic Railroad movie. I wanted to explain a lot of the open ended things that happened in TatMR. The first of which was explained in this chapter, why George Carlin was no longer Mr. Conductor. I'll point things out as they come up, they might not necessarily be obvious. Anyways, I hope you liked it! Keep your eyes peeled, I'm trying to pump these things out!


	7. Chapter 7

Understanding and Promises - Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story.

Authoresses Note: Thanks so much for all the reviews! I know, the last chapter was pretty sad but the story will have a happy ending, I promise! Love you all!

**Revised on May 1, 2013. **

* * *

A desk job. It just _had_ to be a desk job. Schemer slammed his head unto his desk, letting a resounding thunk ring out. Sometimes unemployment looked far better to doing the one type of job he swore he would never have to do. As he raised his head, a piece of paper stuck itself to his face. He swatted it off and crumpled it up with a small sneer. Mr. King's job description was lacking, Schemer decided. Sure it was _kind of_ like Ms. Jones job, if you squinted. The only real resemblance was the fact that there was a desk involved. At least Stacy was allowed to get up and walk around, Schemer was essentially bound to his desk from nine to five. The desk itself was situated in a cubicle of sorts. Customers could approach him in person for information but he mostly just dealt with them over the telephone. Compared to his roomy arcade it felt like a small prison to him. And he hated it.

The worst part wasn't the job though. The worst part was that he didn't know anybody at this station. He didn't just miss working with Stacy and Billy. He missed all the regular passengers and Shining Time residents who would pop by. It was like starting entirely over. He had had a rocky start with practically everyone at Shining Time Station. But somewhere along the line, everyone began to give a little. Trusts began to emerge and friendships were forged. The same happened with Schemee too. He had initially clashed with the other children or competed with them to some extent and now they were best friends. Though, if there was one bright side of all of this, it was that at least Schemee still had Shining Time Station, somewhat. He wasn't too far from another train station and could easily take a ride over. Between work and the distance, Schemer didn't have too much time. Though he did figure that he would leave weekends to go visit Schemee at Allcott's house and maybe the occasional visit to Shining Time Station.

Overhead, the clock struck five. He got up with a sigh and turned the sign on his desk to "Closed". As he left the station he noticed a group of some of the other workers getting together to go out after work. He walked passed quickly, both not wanting to be involved and feeling quite lonely at the same time. As much as he denied it to himself, this was his life now. He lived and worked in Dillylick and would never be part of the Shining Time Station team ever again. The drive home was quiet and boring. When he got back, he found the house that he was renting was even more so. Dropping his keys to the side table, he collapsed on the couch. It had only been a week and he felt like he would never settle in. At least it was Friday, the end of the work week. He figured that he would go visit his Uncle tomorrow, what else was there to do anyways?

He found it eerie to be alone in an unfamiliar house and missed his nephew greatly. It was the right thing to do, to leave Schemee behind to finish at his high school with his friends, wasn't it? He would be going off to college in just two years, it was better not to uproot him too much. He had wanted to come with him, he fought for it. But Schemer felt it was just too selfish to try and keep him glued to his side. But he also wasn't entirely sure if he was doing the right thing by denying Schemee the right to choose who to stay with. Was he failing as a guardian by doing this? He was effectively cutting himself out of his nephews life for the next two years. After he were to go off to college, wherever that may be, how often would he get to see him? Was keeping him in a familiar setting without his guardian worse than bringing him somewhere completely unfamiliar with his only close family member? The look on Schemee's face as Schemer had pulled away was unbearable. Schemer still couldn't help but feel guilty. But as long as he was doing the right thing...

"_Your father isn't coming back. He can't hurt you anymore."_

A voice from a distant memory rang out in his mind. His eyes flew open as he considered what it meant. That was what his mother had told him, after he had woken up in the hospital bed. That was the day... He placed a hand on the side of his head. No. That was completely different. It had to be. He had never hurt Schemee, he would never hurt him. Not physically at least. His memories replayed unbidden. Schemee after Schemer had come home from the Christmas party, how Schemer had truly given him the cold shoulder. Schemee being left behind at a previously unmet family member's home.

_He can't hurt you anymore_

"I didn't hurt him!" Schemer said aloud. "I did what I thought was best! Isn't that the point of being a parent?"

He was breathing heavily. Calming himself down he walked around the living room, smoothing the front of his jacket and re-curling his curl. Once he had regained his composure, he reached for the phone.

"Uncle? It's me, Horace. I'll be coming over tomorrow if that's alright. Yes, of course. See you then."

* * *

_The hospital waiting room was such a dreary place. A bunch of sick people sitting around in one room, how gross. An eighteen year old sat on the far side of a bench. He was just barely into adulthood, still possessing boyish looks and not quite fully grown into his adult body. Still a bit lanky, having not quite achieved the broad shouldered look adult men have. He was not allowed to enter the labour room, not being the father of the child being delivered or the partner of the woman in labour. It had been nearly eight hours since he had drove his sister to the hospital and he was beginning to worry. That was a lie, he was quite worried already. He didn't know how he was going to help shoulder the responsibility of raising a child. He still largely felt like a child himself. He had no idea of how to be a guardian, a father figure, his own had... Well... He angrily rubbed the side of his head. No, he didn't know what he would be, but he knew he would never be that. _

_A nurse approached him. "Mr. Schemer? Could you follow me please?" She asked. As he got up to follow he felt a feeling of dread. She had given him no indication that everything was alright. _

"_Err, is she alright?" He asked nervously. His dark hair falling into his eyes, he brushed it back with the back of his hand. _

"_There were some complications, she is recovering however. We had anesthetically place her unconscious, she gave us instructions beforehand to have you fill out the documents. She named you the child's Godfather." She instructed. _

_He nodded. She turned to him once more. "Would you like to see him?" She asked. _

_Panic coursed through his veins. What was he supposed to do exactly? He had no idea how to handle a baby. Before he could respond, a screaming bundle was brought into the room by another nurse. _

"_He's got quite a set of lungs on him." She said with a smirk as the bundle was placed in his arms before he could protest. Feeling quite awkward, he adjusted his arms into a position that felt more comfortable. _

"_Support his neck a bit more, there you are." She checked her watch. "I've got to get going, one of us will be back momentarily to collect him and bring him to the newborn ward." She left, leaving him alone with the still crying baby. _

_The blanket he was wrapped in partially covered his face. Schemer pushed it aside slightly with one of his fingers ever so gently. He was shocked to find that the baby had been born with dark curls. He looked very much like his mother, and the Schemer side of the family. He continued to scream so Schemer attempted to rock him gently. _

"_It's okay, you're safe now." He whispered gently, completely mesmerized by the sight of such a small person. The baby calmed down as he talked to him, eventually quietening completely. He stared up at his Uncle with large brown eyes and grabbed one of his fingers in his small fist. Schemer smiled down on him. _

"_You're quite the little Schemer. Little Schemer, hmmm. Well, your mother would kill me if I put it on the birth certificate. But, let's just say, between you and I, that you're Schemee. I think it fits." He said with some amusement. Schemee just gave a small sigh. _

_Schemer felt his heart melt, suddenly feeling like he had been given a purpose. "I'm sorry that you'll never know your father, he would've liked to have been here." He said somewhat sadly."But, I did promise him. I promised that I'd do my best to do my best to watch over you." _

_He paused for a moment before smiling and saying. "I promise, I'll protect you and never let anything happen to you, Schemee."_

* * *

Schemer sat in Allcott's large office. "How's he doing, Uncle?" He asked, a little worriedly.

Allcott nodded. "He seems to be fine. Fortunately, the adjustment isn't too bad for him. He's been able to see his friends and visit the station and whatnot. Though, he is more than a little downcast. He tries to deny it, or suppress it, but it is quite obvious. At least to someone who was a professional at reading people for the past thirty five years." He said while taking a sip of tea.

Schemer shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose that helps. Have you tried talking to him at all? I mean about everything that has happened."

Allcott smiled smugly. "I am sworn to confidentiality with anyone who talks to me. If you want to know if he's said anything about you, I cannot say."

Schemer rolled his eyes. "I know that. I just wanted to know if he's talking to you about anything."

"No, he has not. If he wants to talk, he will open up. He is remarkably like you, however. Both of you only talk at the exact moment that you want to and no sooner." He said. "Keep in mind that you brought him here 'against his will', he probably won't open up to someone he still considers a stranger. When you came to me years ago, you willing sought me out."

"It wasn't against his will. At least, I didn't intend for it to be. I did it because I felt you'd be better for him right now. Heck, you're probably better for him than I ever was or could be." Schemer admitted sadly.

Allcott shook his head. "I know it wasn't against his will and I know you did what you thought was best. But never doubt yourself when it comes to you and what you've done for that boy. You were the only male influence he had in his life, and the only guardian that he had when he lost his mother. Spontaneous though you are, he's grown into a respectable young adult. I don't doubt for a second that every decision you make is made with him in mind. If you're asking me whether leaving him here was for the good, I cannot say for certainty. It's a choice between whether or not he remains here his friends and high school or with his Uncle. And neither of us can answer."

Schemer frowned. "How will I know which decision would make him happier?" He asked.

Allcott smiled simply. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

* * *

Schemer sat in the living room as he waited for his nephew to get back from the Station. He had apparently gone there and then to Dan's house for the morning and early afternoon. He looked up as he heard the door open.

"Uncle Allcott, I'm back!" He called up the stairs. As he passed by the living room, on his way to the kitchen, he froze in his tracks as he saw his Uncle.

"Oh... Hey." He said, slight confusion written on his face.

"Hey, do you have a minute to take a walk?" Schemer asked.

Schemee nodded. "Yeah sure, let me just grab my coat." He said.

Once they were outside and walking around, neither spoke. Schemer inwardly winced at the lack of conversation between them. They had never really not spoken, apart from the house party incident, and it was eating him up to think that things were awkwardly cool between himself and his nephew. Finally, Schemee was the one to break the silence.

"So I thought that you weren't coming back for another week." He said.

"I wasn't. But I wanted to come back." Schemer replied. Schemee nodded in response and the two continued their walk in silence through the snow. Schemer shoved his hands into his overcoat pockets. "So how's it been here?" He asked.

"It's been fine. Your Uncle is nice." Schemee said simply.

"Yeah, he is. Though I feel I might have been wrong to assume that you should automatically come live here. I mean, you didn't even know him, even though he is family. Maybe I didn't think things through when I left you here." Schemer said.

Schemee said nothing but looked at his Uncle to continue.

"I mean, maybe, you would have been more comfortable continuing to live with me." Schemer said, hoping his nephew would catch the hint.

"You mean, like I wanted to when you left me here?" Schemee asked pointedly.

"Yes... Like that." He said. "Maybe the choice should have been yours."

Schemee shrugged. "Maybe."

"Are you happy here?" Schemer asked bluntly.

Schemee looked at him. "I don't know. It's different but I'm close to the place that I used to live." He said.

"Would you be happier if you... came to live with me?" Schemer asked hesitantly.

Schemee looked away slightly. "I don't know." He said softly.

Schemer looked down and then back up again. "Be honest with me here. I just want to know what would be best for you. Maybe I'm not the greatest at deciding anymore because you're probably old enough to pick for yourself. You can stay here, like I originally intended, and be with your friends and school and hopefully not be too uprooted. Or you can leave and come with me, I'd do my best to find you a good new school and get you settled in." He said sincerely.

Schemee looked back at him. "I don't know, Uncle Schemer. It's... I mean, at least here I can stay back and finish up my junior and senior years. I'd have to switch in the middle of the year to a new school which could really affect the marks I need to get into college. I didn't mean to beg to go with you, I was just a little shocked. I just didn't think that you would ever... never mind." He cut himself off.

Schemer at first wanted to question and ask him to finish, but instead he closed his mouth and gave a tight lipped nod. Schemee didn't actually want to go with him. He could tell that he wanted something a bit more stable. The sort of stability that he couldn't provide at the moment, Schemer thought with grim confirmation.

"I understand." Was all he could reply with. The thought of suddenly seeing his nephew only once every one or two weeks was deeply unnerving.

"I'm going to stay." Schemee said calmly, further driving the knife into Schemer's heart.

"I know. I just... wanted you to choose." He said, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice. He had no right to be upset in front of Schemee. It was and always should have been his decision. If he wanted to stay here in the beginning then there should be no problem with him, he had left him here after all. No, not "left", Schemer stubbornly said to himself. He couldn't bring himself to call it an abandonment or anything of that nature.

There was a silence between them once more until Schemee broke it. "Why didn't you just let me choose in the beginning Uncle Schemer?" He asked, slowing and coming to a stop and facing Schemer.

Schemer, in turn, stopped and faced his nephew. "I... Well, honestly, I wasn't even going to give you a choice. I hadn't planned on coming back early and asking you. I'm not going to lie to you about that one. But please, don't think too badly of me for it. I was convinced that I knew what was best and that what was best was for you to stay here. I thought about it relentlessly this week, and I realized that I was wrong." He explained.

"Would you have come back if you hadn't decided to ask me?" Schemee asked, some childhood innocence shining through.

Schemer placed one arm around Schemee's shoulders and they continued walking. "Of course. I wouldn't be able to not visit." He said honestly.

"Did you leaving me here have _anything_ to do with the party? And about how you didn't trust me anymore." He asked.

Schemer stopped the walk again and removed his arm from his nephew. He placed his arms on his shoulders and faced him once more. "No. It had nothing to do with that. And my trust in you is completely unchanged and real. I came back because I wanted to show you that I trusted you to make the right choice. I want you to always trust yourself, and please understand that I always trust you to know what the right thing to do is. The party, that was just a mistake, and it's as far out of my mind as can possibly be."

Schemee smiled lightly. "Okay, and I'm sorry for getting mad when you were leaving."

"Don't worry about it. You had every right to be." Schemer said sincerely.

"By the way Uncle, why did you terminate your lease?" He asked curiously.

Schemer sighed. "It's a long story. It had to do with the person I was seeing." He admitted painfully.

"You two broke up?" He asked. "I know you couldn't tell me before, but how were the two connected?"

"It is a long story. We can go inside and I'll explain it to you." He said and they started to walk. Schemee felt some elation at the fact that he was going to be let it to his Uncle's well kept secrets even if they weren't the happiest of stories to tell.

"By the way." Schemee began to say sourly. "Your old location has already been filled."

Schemer nodded. "I figured as much. It's a good spot and a popular location."

"Yeah, they're putting some administration office there. Some guy who's becoming co-owner."

Schemer froze dead in his tracks, eyes wide.

"Err, what's wrong?" Schemee asked.

"Who's office?" He asked softly, but dangerously.

"Umm, his name is Paul or something." Schemee said hesitantly.

With a snarl Schemer suddenly began speed walking in the direction of his car, not the house. Schemee took off after him. Despite the fact that he was creeping up on his Uncle in height and the fact that Schemee was younger, he was still struggling to catch up to his Uncle's quick strides.

"Uncle Schemer! Where are you going?" He called, as he tried to keep up.

"I have to go to the Station, now!" He called back, quickening his pace.

"But you just got here!" Schemee protested, they had reached his car.

Schemer's face softened a fraction as he reached for his keys. "I know... And I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you. I'll be back by next weekend, I just really have to go talk to someone now." He said as he unlocked his door.

"Okay, bye then..." Schemee said glumly but still confused and a little shocked.

Schemer opened his door but pulled Schemee into a one armed hug before he climbed in. "Take care of yourself, Schemee." He said gently. With a roar, his car flew out of the driveway, leaving his slightly bewildered nephew behind.

* * *

Paul crept up to Stacy's desk and waited for her to look up. Despite the fact that she knew he was there, she refused to look up. He finally grew impatient and cleared his throat audibly. She finally looked up, spite in her eyes. "Yes, sir?" She asked innocently.

He grinned but it failed to meet his cold eyes. "Ms. Jones, your attitude needs some serious cleaning up." He said with a slight sneer. "But regardless, I do have to ask for your scheduling sheets."

"Why would you need the scheduling sheets?" She asked suspiciously.

"You shouldn't question your superiors, you know. I shouldn't have to tell you what I'm doing with them but just so you're informed I will be in charge of the schedules now." He said smugly.

"I'm in charge of those schedules, Mr. King wouldn't allow this." She said as she reached for the phone, as she grabbed the ear piece, he reached over and held two fingers to the receiver, keeping the phone hung up.

"I don't think so Ms. Jones. Do you really think that Mr. King would give you more responsibility over me? He'd just be annoyed to hear you call to complain about me taking duties away from you. This is my station now, Ms. Jones. You think that he'd trust you over me after the whole incident with you and that idiot Schemer?" He drawled mockingly.

"Schemer is not an idiot!" She snapped angrily. "And fine, this is your station, you've won. Happy now? Now just let me work in peace! Here's your scheduling papers!" She thrust them angrily towards him and took a seat at her desk and furiously resumed her work.

Paul eyed outside the window as a familiar car pulled up. The gears in his head quickly turned. If that buffoon came in here now, he'd probably have a mutiny on his hands. Billy and Stacy had just about had enough of him and were ready to throw in the towels, but without them the locals would probably stop using the station. Schemer was the biggest threat him possessing this station at the moment and he needed to get rid of him in the longterm. However, for the time being, the short-term would have to suffice.

He eyed Stacy's proud, red Station-mistress's hat and got an idea. He quickly snatched it from her desk and pretended to inspect it. She looked up, fury etched all over her face.

"You know, if I'm in charge now, this should be worn by me." He suggested snidely.

She all but leapt out of her seat. "That was my grandmother's, the original Station Mistress, give it back now!" She launched herself as he held it above his head, just out of her reach.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. The second she leapt, he stepped forward and caught her with his free arm. The hand holding the hat came around and brought her face to his. Schemer walked in just as their faces pressed together and lips touched. Stacy was too shocked to register what had happened and didn't immediately pull away. Schemer looked on for a few seconds of horror before Paul let her go. Unfortunately, Schemer couldn't see the look of disgust and horror on her face as she had her back to him. Fortunately, for Paul she didn't have an immediate outburst.

She couldn't speak because the shock of what her 'superior' had done had left her speechless. It wasn't until Schemer spoke that she was brought out of her stupor.

"I see that you've wasted no time." She spun around to face him. He stood on the top most step, cold fury written all over his face.

"No, wait.." She began to say but he had already spun on his heel and strode out the door.

She sprinted after him, completely forgetting that Paul was still standing behind her. "Schemer!" She shouted as he began to climb into his car. He ignored her but she tugged him half out of the driver's seat as she grabbed onto his arm.

"That was not what you think it was!" She said in a low voice, a throaty and raw voice. He shook his head and angrily and tried to shrug her off. She grabbed the front of his jacket so that she could possibly try and get a moment to explain. He grabbed her hands, not so tight as to hurt her, and tried to pry them off.

"Stop it, Stacy!" He barked, unsuccessfully struggling with her grip.

"No, I won't! Just please let me explain!" She said angrily, already in an emotional state from recent events.

"What's to explain then?" He angrily snapped. He had removed her hands and she dropped them to her side. "You... I gave up my arcade so that you could still have a job and this is how you repay me? You take up with the new tenant who 'just so happens' to be the chosen one for co-owner? Who, oh by the way, is at least partially responsible for our break up! I cannot believe it! I gave up everything Stacy! And you, and him, played me like a fool! This can't be happening... I can't believe you would set me up completely like this..." He stepped away and began to get into his car one last time.

She walked up and stopped outside his open window. "It's not what you think!" She pleaded. "Please!"

He looked at her coldly. "You're telling me that us being turned in by the new co-owner, me subsequently terminating my lease, having aforementioned new co-owner take over my lease, and me walking in on you two kissing are all coincidences?" He asked.

She nodded. He gave a cold version of his Schemer laugh. "You must disrespect more than I thought then. If you think I'm going to believe that." His window started rolling up slowly.

"Schemer wait!" She shouted but it was too late.

"Good bye, Ms. Jones." He said as it shut fully and drove off.

Paul watched the scene from the window with a satisfied look on his face. The short-term plan had worked. But he needed to ensure that the longterm plan would take care of them ever talking it out. Still, Schemer's anger had effectively ensured that they wouldn't speak for quite some time. Stacy walked in within minutes of Schemer driving off. She looked at Paul with a mixture of silent fury and calculating coolness. He knew she was angry and wanted nothing better than to knock out his two front teeth. But he could see it in her gaze that she wouldn't. She was far too proud to quit on him. He knew that she would never leave her station in his hands fully, she didn't trust him. Which is exactly what he wanted. He needed her to stick around, and he knew her anger and pride would never let her leave if it meant leaving him in complete charge. As much as she hated him and despised working with him, she could not let herself leave. Fighting for the station was the only thing she had left right now.

He gave her a smirk before heading back to his office and closing the door. He could put the longterm plan into effect very soon. But for now, he could celebrate in the fact that he had successfully accomplished one very important goal. Stacy, and subsequently Billy, were not going anywhere. He needed them to remain here, for now, as they were both crucial to the running of the station. He needed them to remain so that the locals continued to use the Station. Until he was secured as co-owner there was a very delicate balance to maintain.

And once he was co-owner, he could quickly get rid of the obstacle that was preventing him from being the full owner. And that obstacle was Mr. King.

* * *

Monday meant that Schemer had to return to his job at Dillylick. As much as he despised his new job, he now realized with complete certainty that his old job was completely void. There was no going back. He sat down at his desk and flipped his card to "Open". He noticed an envelope was sitting at the corner of his desk. Curious, he tore it open.

_To Horace Schemer:_

_We have heard about the closure of your arcade and would like to extend our condolences. However, we have also heard that your arcade was quite the successful business, possessing many novelty machines. We'd like to extend to you an offer to come view some premises for a new location. All details of the business deal will be explained in person onsite. We feel that you will be pleased with what we have to offer. _

_If interested, please come to the following location at nine o'clock in the evening: _

_Building 480 _

_Dillylick Piers _

_We hope to see you there. _

Schemer looked up with curiosity. It was located at the harbour front? That was sure to be a busy tourist location. It sounded perfect. There was no return address or contact but he paid no mind. He would without a doubt be there to check it out. Perhaps things were beginning to pick up. He grinned at the thought of getting his arcade back, bigger and better than before. And best of all, he would finally be able to do what he loved while putting Shining Time Station far out of his mind.


	8. Chapter 8

Understanding and Promises - Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story.

Authoresses Note: Dunh-dunh-nah-NAH! We've reached the all important climax of the story! Thanks to all the reviewers, I credit my speediness in my updates to you all! I'll hopefully be wrapping this story up in the next few chapters but I really hope that you enjoy! By the way, I haven't uploaded to Tidmouth forums yet because I'm tired and need to get to bed :)

**Revised on May 1, 2013**

* * *

Schemer parked at the far end of the pier. There were only walkways now and he would have to find the place on foot. He re-read the note, checked a sign mapping out all the buildings along the pier, and picked a direction to go in. As he walked, he noticed that the buildings became increasingly industrial. Instead of there being empty stores for lease, storage rooms and docking stations were filling his view.

Night had fallen completely and he wrapped his suit jacket closer around his body. The chill from the sea air was beginning to sink in. A foghorn sounded in the distance and he gave a small jump. The pier was becoming creepy in the dark. The silhouettes from all the equipment made him think of monsters from a child's nightmare.

"Focus. You're an adult, stop being such a baby." He mentally chastised himself. He looked up to find the building he was looking for had appeared in front of him. He came to stop in front of it. Looking around, he could see no one in view. He frowned as he realized that he was completely alone. A large part of his brain was screaming at him to head back now but instead he moved closer to read the sign on the building.

'Indian Valley Railroad Docking and Storage Unit' is what the plaque read. His heart was pounding in his chest. This couldn't be right. Why would someone have sent him here? Deciding that he didn't want to find out, he turned on his heel and began to leave. Or tried to, rather.

Several large and foreboding figures stepped from the shadows of surrounding alleyways. He looked desperately back and forth for an exit but found none. They were closing in on him menacingly and he backed up slowly until his back was against the door of the building. A light was suddenly thrown on overhead and he had to squint in the bright light. As his eyes adjusted he saw three very large and dangerous looking thugs standing in front of the exits he had. In the center however...

"You!" Schemer shouted as he recognized Paul. He was standing in front of the thugs with a smug smile on his face.

"Evening Schemer. What are you doing out here at night? And so all alone." He asked maliciously. He was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Oh, that's right. You must have received my note." He said casually.

Schemer grasped the piece of paper tightly in his fist. Standing up straight, he attempted to look brave. "What do you want?" He asked though he didn't really want an answer. He sounded much braver than he felt.

"Oh nothing really. Just Shining Time Station for starters, the Indian Valley Railroad next." He said casually.

"So what? You've already got one of the two!" Schemer barked angrily. "Why can't you just get along with your takeover and leave me alone already?"

"Because believe it or not, my simple minded friend, you've been standing in the way this whole time. At least partially, I need that idiot King gone afterwards. But I digress I need Shining Station to be one hundred percent mine if I am going to show that I am capable enough to co-own an entire railroad. For that to happen I need the current staff to accept me." He rolled his eyes. "Or scare them into submission, whatever."

Schemer narrowed his eyes. "Again, where do I play into this? I'm not a staff member of Shining Time, you saw to that."

"Ah, Schemer. You see, if the other residents of Shining Time Station knew that your stupid application had actually been submitted, they'd be up in arms. They'd surely rather you over me, stupid though you are."

Schemer frowned. "What are you talking about?" He asked. A sudden flashback made him widen his eyes.

_"The Indian Valley Railroad Shareholder and Co-Owner Application." She read aloud. "What exactly were you two doing with this?" She asked suspiciously._

_"Filling out an application." Schemee said truthfully._

_She looked at them both, eyes completely deadpan. She finally turned to Schemer. "You do realize that only serious applicants are accepted?" She said mockingly._

_"But all applications have to be handed in and considered!" He said victoriously, waving an already completed application in her face._

_"Schemer! You mean to tell me that I have to actually look Mr. King dead in the eye and say, 'Oh, by the way, here's Schemer's application. Wouldn't he be fun to co-own a railroad with.'?" She said in an angry tone of voice._

_'Exactly." He said happily, and he and Schemee were taken with a new round of laughter._

_She slammed her palm to her face as she grabbed the application and placed it in the 'To be given to Mr. King' tray._

"Oh..." He said simply.

"Yes, you see, the others may have forgotten, as you did, but if it were ever mentioned or slipped out to them, I'd surely be boycotted. They don't like me much." He said shaking his head, feigning sorrow.

Schemer eyed him warily as he suddenly looked up with a malicious glint in his eyes. "Get him." He said dangerously.

One of the thugs stepped forward. Schemer, now anticipating some sort of attack, broke out into a sprint. He managed to slip by the outstretched arms of one of the thugs but couldn't move fast enough to outmaneuver the others. He was suddenly restrained in a power grip, unable to move his arms and the thug had one arm laid tightly across his neck. He gasped, desperately trying to breath through a mostly constricted windpipe.

Paul walked up and harshly yanked his head up by grabbing Schemer by the hair, forcing him to look him in the eyes. "Oh poor Ms. Jones, she'll be so upset to here about this. You didn't actually think she wanted to kiss me, did you? I thought it was quite the clever set up. The timing was perfect." He mocked.

Schemer could only continue to make choking sounds. His legs kicked out uselessly under him.

"I want success, I want power. Most of all, I want Shining Time Station and the Indian Valley Railroad to be mine. Right now, you're standing in my way. I don't like it when people get in my way." He hissed angrily.

"You're... crazy." Schemer managed to choke out.

Paul grinned once more before punching Schemer squarely in the stomach. If he were mobile, he would've been doubled up with the wind knocked out of him. Instead he was completely held back and reduced to making silent choking noises. The second punch came, again, out of nowhere. By the third and fourth he was expecting it, though these ones were directed at his face. The fifth caught him squarely in the jaw.

"I think that's enough." Paul said softly and Schemer felt himself being released from the thug's vice grip. He fell limply to the ground, taking deep and ragged gasps of air. He could feel blood trickling from his hairline and the corner of his mouth. "He's all yours, boys. You'll get the rest of your payment tomorrow, you know where to find me." He said simply and Schemer watched him turn around and begin to walk away. He paused for one moment and turned back. He came up to Schemer's prone body and produced a pocket knife from his pocket. He harshly grabbed Schemer by the tie and cut the hanging part loose from his neck.

"A souvenir." He explained softly as he pocketed the blood stained scrap of fabric. "It'll keep your friends inline." He gave a evil laugh before walking away for good. Schemer attempted to launch after him. Three pairs of strong hands held him back. "COWARD!" He shouted at Paul's retreating back. But he was suddenly lifted to his feet. He found he could weakly stand on his own. The three thugs slowly ambled forward towards Schemer. He continued to take steps backwards until his foot found the edge of the pier. One of the thugs gripped him tightly around the neck with both hands. His breathing was completely constricted and at that moment he knew he was going to die. One of the others produced a pistol from his jacket. He eyed it warily.

"I'm sorry Schemee, Stacy, Billy... I've failed you all." He mourned mentally. The thug, instead of grabbing the butt and holding the trigger, grabbed the gun by the nozzle. Schemer was surprised but understood as he saw it being brought down over his head in slow motion. His head exploded with pain and he saw immediate stars. He was sure that he was unconscious, yet he heard a splash. As coldness seeped into his skin, he suddenly realized he was in the water, and the cause of the splash he heard. He was barely conscious, and couldn't see, even with his eyes open. There was no energy left, nothing left to try and swim, he could only close his eyes and let himself slip under the water.

* * *

"Hey hot stuff." Paul said as he walked into Shining Time Station. He was half-grinning, half-leering at Stacy, who was currently changing the schedule. He had his hands casually in his pockets.

She sighed angrily. "Mr. Miller, I thought I was quite clear about talking to me like that. And I wanted to talk to you about this new schedule." She looked seriously at him, hands resting on her hips.

"Ah yes, my new schedule. Why don't you tell me over dinner, I know this great place in Snarlyville, Lights it's called." He said snidely.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Mr. Miller, this schedule is absolutely terrible. There are conflicts left, right and center. I don't know how you think this is going to work but the current general manager of the railroad should have a thorough understanding of how scheduling works. Especially one who wants to become the co-owner." She said bluntly.

His grin slid off his face. "I don't particularly like your attitude Ms. Jones. I know you're upset that the Station isn't under your control anymore but you're just going to have to accept that things are going to be run my way from now on." He said dangerously.

"And if I don't accept?" She said with a sneer.

His grin returned, though it was much colder and sinister. "Then you, and anyone else who defies me, will find themselves reunited with that friend of yours." He said as his wicked grin grew wider.

She frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked suspiciously.

"Oh you know the one. What's his name again? Worked over in Dillylick." He said, pretending to look thoughtful.

"Schemer? And what do you mean by 'worked', did you do something to make him lose his job?" Fury was rising in her face.

"Right, Schemer. That's it. Guy with the dark hair and curl on one side. Wore patterns kind of like this." He said with his dark sinister grin. He had produced a scrap of fabric from his pocket and thrust it towards Stacy.

"What is that?" She asked, but as he opened his fist her eyes widened in recognition. She snatched it from his hand and held it close. It was the bottom half of a tie, a very well known tie to her. She rubbed the fabric between her thumb and forefinger, inspecting it closer. It was severed at the top end and had flecks of a copper-brown substance...

"What did you do?" She asked, her voice wavering. The tie was definitely Schemer's. It was one of his favourites and the pattern was so distinct that it had to be the same one that he wore so often.

Paul threw his arm around Stacy's shoulders and pulled her close. He moved his lips close to her ears. "Oh Ms. Jones, I'm sorry about taking such drastic measures. But, you have to understand. I have a station and eventually a whole railroad line to run. I need to keep my employees in line." He said condescendingly.

She continued to stare at the fabric, wide eyed. "No... How could you? You, you... You monster!" She screamed as she tore herself from his grasp. He reached for her arm but she was too fast. Her hand came down on his face in a hard, open palmed slap. He hissed in pain as the sound of skin hitting skin reverberated around the Station. A red mark quickly appeared on his cheek.

"You little..." He sputtered out as he grabbed her wrist before she could hit him again. Before he could do anything further however, a large figure grabbed the arm that was holding hers.

"I suggest you let her go." Billy said dangerously.

Paul's nose wrinkled in fury but he let her wrist go roughly. He grabbed the tie from her other hand and stuffed it back into his pocket. "You're all walking on thin ice. Let this be a lesson to you." He said menacingly as he turned to leave, brushing roughly past Billy.

Once they heard him exit, Stacy slid down the side of her desk to the floor. Billy rushed to her side and found that she was shaking.

"Stacy, are you okay?" He asked worriedly. Her dark eyes stared straight ahead, tears beginning to pool in them.

He gently took her wrist and looked at it. "Well, it's not broken. But there will definitely be a bruise. How dare he lay a hand on you." He said angrily.

She turned to look at him. "Billy... I think he's done something terrible." She whispered and tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. She felt like she was frozen to the spot, and going into shock.

He frowned. "Like what? What was he talking about something 'being a lesson'? He can't hurt you or anyone and get away with it. We're going to report him tomorrow."

She shook her head. "No, we can't. He showed me... He showed me..." She began to sob into her hands before she could finish.

"Showed you what, Stacy? Please, tell me." Billy pressed her worriedly. She raised her head with a shallow gasp.

"He had a piece of Schemer's tie. It was covered in... in blood." She whispered.

"I'll call them at Dillylick, we'll see exactly where Schemer is." He said quietly. He reached for the receiver and was about to dial the number, when the phone rang. He shrugged and picked it up.

"Shining Time Station, Billy speaking. Yes, yes we know him. Have we seen him? Err, no." He said worriedly. Stacy looked on in fear. There was silence on Billy's end for quite sometime, he appeared to be listening to whatever the other person was saying with great concentration.

"I... I see. No, we're good friends of his. We'll get in contact... Good bye." He dropped the receiver gently and didn't speak for a moment. Stacy gripped his arm tightly.

"Who was that?" She asked, fearing the worst. He was silent for a moment longer.

"That was the Dillylick police. They found... Schemer's car abandoned at the docks. He hasn't been to work in two days, they wanted to know if we had seen him." He managed to say. "They also didn't know who and where to contact for next of kin."

Stacy blinked and stared ahead for a few moments, saying nothing. She lowered her head and walked over to where the arcade once stood. Now, only marks on the floor gave any indication that anything had ever been there. She placed both hands on the banister and placed her forehead on top of them. She was too shocked to cry again, despite that being her main activity for the past several days. Now she would never know what could've been. There was no longer any chance of her even reconciling with him. He was gone forever, all because she had been too afraid to lose her job and the Station. If she had just walked away from Mr. King and his psychopathic henchman... They could've walked out together, waiting to see what the future had in store. Instead, her best friend had been violently taken out of her life by some interloper. The same interloper that was taking over her station anyways.

For once in her life, she hated Shining Time Station. It had been the only thing she had focused on. She was more concerned about some stupid building when she should have been concerned about her relationships with real people. Schemer had shown her nothing but kindness and caring, in ways she never thought possible from him because she had never given him a chance. Why hadn't she noticed him sooner? And why, once she did share something with him, did she choose a train station over the sincere affection he was showing her? He might have been flawed in some ways, but he was never evil. And he certainly didn't deserve his fate. Not one bit.

A hand was placed on her shoulder. "Stacy, I'm sorry. This is... I don't even have the words to describe how terrible it is." He admitted quietly and wiped a few stray tears away.

She wiped her reddened eyes. "It's all my fault Billy. I... I threw it all away." She said with a shake of her head. "Now, we're stuck here with this madman threatening us with the same thing."

"I know, and we'll have to deal with this somehow. But first, we should go to where Schemee is staying. He should hear it from someone he knows." Billy said wisely.

Stacy nodded, her heart breaking at the prospect. "Yes, we should. Could you drive? I don't think I could manage."

He nodded. "Of course, we'll shut down for the day. Why don't you get the signs up and I'll go bring the car around the front."

The car ride went too fast for either of them. Neither wanted to go ahead with what was about to happen. Schemee had already lost both parents, now his only guardian was gone too. They were so close and even though Stacy was devastated, she knew that he would be feeling so much worse.

Stacy stared sadly out the window. "I loved him." She said quietly, hardly daring to admit it aloud.

Billy nodded, still staring forward. "I know." Was all he said. She looked at the window, mournfully remembering all the times she had been driving with Schemer.

When they reached their destination they stopped before getting out of the car. "I think you should tell Schemee. Not because I'm trying to get out of doing it, but I think it would be best if I took his Uncle aside and you took Schemee aside. I think you'd be a much better person to break the news." He said.

She nodded. "I think you're right." A knot of dread had formed in the put of her stomach and it tightened as they knocked on the door. His Uncle answered, he looked far too much like Schemer did and Stacy had to swallow a lump in her throat. She already knew Schemer's Uncle, they had been introduced when Stacy was seeking help after Ned left.

"Hello Allcott." She greeted respectfully.

"Stacy? What do I owe the pleasure?" He asked kindly.

"Allcott, this is Billy Twofeathers, my co-worker. And I'm afraid we have some terrible news." She confessed, her voice sounding dead.

Allcott nodded gravely, "Please come in, both of you."

"Is Schemee around?" Stacy asked quietly.

"He was outside the last I saw. I think he was going for a walk around the property." He explained as they sat down around the kitchen table.

"Now, before either of you say anything, I can tell something is wrong. You both have something to tell me. Where is my nephew?" He asked worriedly.

The two looked at each other for support before turning back to Allcott. Billy started to speak. "We received a phone call at the station." He explained. "Um, Schemer, err Horace, hasn't been at work for the past two days."

Allcott nodded grimly. "Well, he hasn't been here. Have they checked his house? No answer?" He asked worriedly.

Billy nodded. "They checked, there was no answer. They... they found his car abandoned by the docks though. They also said they found, signs of a struggle by the Indian Valley Railroad's storage building."

Allcott breathed deeply. "But, they never found... him?" He asked, his eyes shining with sorrow.

Billy shook his head slowly. "No, they didn't."

Allcott steepled his fingers and breathed deeply once more, he seemed to be trying to absorb everything that had been happened. "There are so many unanswered questions here." He shook his head sadly, "Oh, Horace."

Stacy looked over at Billy. "Perhaps Billy should fill you in with recent events." She said softly. "May I talk to Schemee?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yes, it might be best if you spoke to him. You've known him for much longer."

Stacy nodded. "Once Billy has explained everything, you'll understand. But... I'm not sure that I should tell Schemee the entire story. Should I just break the news to him, or elaborate?" She asked.

He looked contemplative. "I don't know the whole story yet. However, I do think that he should hear it all, whatever it may be. He's nearly an adult and I don't think anything should be held back from him." He decided.

"Thank you, and I'm very sorry for your loss." She said sadly before heading outside to find Schemee.

It didn't take too long, the farm's grounds were relatively flat so she was able to spot him fairly quickly. He noticed her when she was about one hundred yards away. He walked over to meet her.

"Stacy? What are you doing here?" He frowned in confusion.

She paused for a moment. "Schemee... I'm so sorry..." She began, but her voice hitched in her throat. The wound on her heart was still extremely fresh. "It's your Uncle." She managed to choke out.

Schemee froze like a deer in the headlights. He had seen this expression on a few people before, and immediately knew what it meant. Dread flooded into his chest and he swallowed in fear. This was the very expression someone had before they said the worst.

"He's not coming back, is he?" His voice sounded very raw.

She stared him in the eye, and shook her head. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. The two stood like that for a moment that felt like an eternity. Facing each other, standing a few feet apart. A breeze picked up and clouds began to gather in the sky, making the earth feel as grey as the two people in the field.

His mouth twitched for an instant before he stared up at the sky. "I've ever felt like an orphan, not while I had him." He said calmly. And with that, he collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

* * *

_"I'm very disappointed in you Schemee."_

_Schemee stood about four feet away from his Uncle. The landscape was indiscernible. Schemee tried to run to him but he seemed to float backwards, always out of his reach._

_"No, NO! I'm sorry! Don't go! DON'T GO!" He cried out as Schemer floated into the background, disappearing suddenly in a smoky wisp._

_"COME BACK! COME BACK!" He repeated over and over again, but he never did._

Schemee awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for air. He was in a room that was not his own, where was he? He squinted in the darkness and suddenly recognized it as the room in Jasper's house. His heart gave a painful clench. The dream wasn't real but the hurt was. His face felt wet and he reached one clammy hand up to test it. He found he had tears running down his face.

He squeezed them shut hard. His Uncle, his guardian, his best friend, his... father-figure, was gone. He would never see him again, never hear his voice again, never see any of his antics. None of that would happen ever again. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach, he managed to stagger to the bathroom where he was promptly sick. He walked to his room and lay flat on his back, unable to get back to sleep. He heard a gentle knock at the door moments later.

"Come in." He said, his voice sounding quite ragged.

Allcott entered the room. "I heard you get up, are you alright?" He asked sadly.

Schemee gave a humourless, breathy laugh. His heart gave another painful clench as what floated to his ears sounded like a ghost of his Uncle's laugh. "No." He said truthfully.

"Physically then?" Allcott prodded.

"I guess." Schemee replied. He turned to Allcott. "When will have to go back to his house?" He questioned.

"I'm not sure, there are some... complications." He replied. "I've done some reading and I've realized that we don't have any legal rights to touch any of his belongings, that includes entering his house. Not until next-of-kin is notified."

Schemee raised himself to his elbows. "But next-of-kin? That has to be one of us, doesn't it?" Confusion evident in his voice.

Allcott took a deep breath. "Unfortunately, no. Neither of us are next-of-kin as long as someone closer is alive."

Schemee frowned. "Who then? There isn't anyone closer whose still alive."

"There is. My brother, Schemer's father." He whispered.

Schemee froze. His Uncle's father? He never pictured his Uncle even having a father. It was a stupid thought to think, but he had never heard even a whisper of his name. He always assumed that Schemer's father, Schemee's grandfather, had passed away a long time ago. He suddenly wondered why he never bothered to ask. He wondered why he had never bothered to ask his Uncle a lot of things.

"Where is he?" Schemee asked.

Jasper shook his head slowly. "I don't know, honestly. I'll be doing my research to locate him as soon as possible."

"You don't talk to him?" Schemee asked, Schemer's father would be Allcott's brother after all. Why wouldn't he have contact? And besides, surely Schemer would have had some contact with him if he were alive.

"No, I haven't spoken with him in nearly fifteen years. Longer than that for your Uncle." He added, while looking into the distance wistfully. "They're quite estranged. Actually, Jasper, that's his name, is estranged from practically everybody who knew him. Even me, his twin brother."

Schemee shook his head. "Why didn't he ever tell me anything?" He asked sadly. "He didn't trust me, though by the end he had good reason I suppose."

Allcott shook his head and gave Schemee's shoulder a squeeze. "He trusted you more than you know. The party was just a teenager's mistake. Of course he was upset, but he never loved you any less for it. And as for not telling you certain things, I believe it was to protect you from his past. Some things are just too much to burden a child with." He explained gently.

"Could you tell me? I want to know. Now that he's gone I feel like I know so little about him." He asked sadly.

"I'll tell you what I know." Allcott agreed. "Come to the study and we'll have a seat."

* * *

Earlier that evening...

At a beach not too far away, an older man and his dog were walking along the shore. The dog sped up suddenly, barking at a prone figure lying on the beach. The man warily walked up to the figure of a man, half lying in the water. The dog, a golden retriever, sniffed the man all over, barking at his owner impatiently. The man gently turned the body over and felt for a pulse. A very weak heartbeat could be felt fluttering in the young man's neck. As the man turned him over to look at his face he gave a gasp.

"Horace!" He whispered in horrified shock. The barely-alive man had blue-tinged lips and a bruised face. Still-bleeding cuts existed on his forehead.

The man who found him gathered him up quickly. He had no idea why he was here, practically dead, washed up on a beach, but he needed to help him.


	9. Chapter 9

Understanding and Promises: Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Don't own anything

Authoresses Note: Thanks so much for your patience! School is making me very busy, but I'm updating not once, not twice, but three times this weekend! Consider this a Canadian Thanksgiving present to all of you readers! Thanks so much to LittleMissBadass, Scarfgirl, Hypergalaxy and the TheFunnyPear12 for your reviews. I really appreciate it!

**Revised on May 5, 2013.**

* * *

A figure stood in the doorway, watching the scene before him in silence. His face gave away no emotion and he held a very serious demeanour. The ragged breathing coming from the figure on the bed was the only sound that broke the quietness of the morning. An older female was leaning over him and checking him all over. She pushed his hair out of the way and inspected the wound on his head and lifted his head tenderly to inspect the bruising on his neck. She gave a gentle sigh and shook her head gently. As she smoothed his hair back down she turned to the figure in the doorway.

The female turned to her husband. "His temperature is over one hundred degrees. He doesn't have any broken bones, though I'm worried he might be concussed. His head wound is fairly shallow but it looks like a hard hit. I don't dare give him anything for it while he's like this." She explained, gesturing to the figure on the bed.

The man in the doorway stepped forward to get a better look. The younger man on the bed was sleeping fitfully. His lips were still blue tinged, although less so, and his face was very pale. Despite the heavily blankets and quilts and the generally warm temperature of the room, he was shaking with cold and was huddling under them as best he could.

The man beside her nodded. "Do your best, you're a great nurse and if anyone can help him, it's you."

"Shouldn't we take him to a hospital? I could better help him with real equipment." She suggested as he continued to fitfully 'sleep' on the bed.

He shook his head. "No, I don't think that would be wise. I have a feeling that something is very amiss here, we have to try and heal him here. I don't think he's safe at a hospital or public place."

She nodded in silent agreement. "If you say so dear. I'll be right back, I'm going to go grab a cold cloth. It should help bring the swelling and fever down." She said as she left the room.

The man approached the bed silently. Their 'patient' had stopped thrashing and was lying quite still, taking in ragged gasps of air. Beads of sweat covered his face and his hair was sleeked back with sweat. The man placed one gentle hand to his forehead, which was burning up. He trailed a finger down the side of head to a spot just above his right ear. Pushing back the hair he felt the bumpy scar underneath. He shook his head as he smoothed the hair back down.

His wife returned to the room and watched her husband. She returned to his side and placed the cold cloth on Schemer's head. He gave a low groan at the feel of coldness but did not regain consciousness. She looked at her husband. "How ironic that it would be you to find him in this condition. To save his life."

Jasper said nothing, not revealing his true feelings on the matter.

Alice gripped his chin and turned it towards her. "Look at me. I know what happened, you told me long before we were married. I also know that you had changed long before you met me. You're not the same man as before. I don't know what strange coincidence or twist of fate brought you to that beach at that moment but I do know that it's time to stop living in the past. When he wakes up, you're finally going to have to face your guilt. You'll talk to him and regardless of his it goes, you'll feel better for it."

He gave a shrug. "Perhaps."

She gave him a sad smile. "Look, Jasper, I don't mean to be insensitive, but he's your only son. And he's going to be okay, but for whatever cause he almost died today. Your daughter passed years ago, don't you want to have some reconciliation with your remaining family?"

He sighed, "I made big mistakes in my past, Alice. If I could go back I would have sought help long before it became an issue. But that doesn't mean that digging up these old problems will help myself or him. To me, he's a living reminder of how screwed up I was. To him, I'm a complete monster. We're not good for each other, and a continued distance is the only good alternative here I think. I'll help him get back to health, help him get back on his feet, but I'm not here to stay in his life, nor will he want to stay in mine. I'm certain that our paths have only crossed, and will continue to travel in different directions." He said seriously.

"Maybe things will be different once you actually are able to speak with him." She remarked, clearly disappointed with his thought process.

"Maybe, but probably not."

* * *

Schemee crept through his Great Uncle's house quietly. He didn't want to wake him and he carefully placed a note on an obvious spot on the kitchen table. It was relatively early in the morning, about seven or so. It was the first Saturday since school had started back up again following the Christmas holidays. Given the circumstances, Schemee had taken the week off school as a mourning period. His Uncle's car had since been checked by crime scene specialists, the police were notified about a missing person, and the search had taken place...

... And turned up nothing.

There was nothing to indicate what had happened to his Uncle. The search had since been called off since nothing turned up. The disappearance itself was still considered suspicious, given the circumstances, but the case was cold. There were no real suspects, at least no one that the police could even remotely prove to be guilty. However, since there was absolutely no evidence to the contrary, Horace Schemer was considered legally dead. Schemee still felt the raw grief associated with loss, that wouldn't disappear anytime soon, but at the same time his blood was boiling. He had heard the story that Billy and Stacy had relayed and knew that something was seriously amiss. The thought that this Paul guy was walking around, gloating about what he had done, was setting his teeth on edge. But it didn't add up. He didn't know what the motive was, he had no idea what interactions his Uncle had ever had with Paul, all he knew was he needed to find out.

He snuck out of the old farmhouse and walked to the nearest train station. He needed to pay Stacy and Billy a visit. He needed more information and answers. He felt he couldn't rest easy until it was solved. He owed it to his Uncle to see that justice was served, it was the least he could do. The train ride was quick and soon enough he found himself standing in front of Shining Time Station. He looked up at it's old fashioned design and felt a grieved as he thought of all the memories and adventures that had begun here. He swallowed and buried his emotions. There would be time to properly mourn later. Now, he had work to do. He swung open the door and stepped inside.

The sight of an office being built over the old arcade made him feel hollow inside but he again tried to bury the hurt and focus on the job at hand. Stacy's desk was empty but Billy's office door stood slightly ajar. He gathered his nerve and walked up to it. He could hear their voices from behind it and caught pieces of their conversation.

"We'll have to put up a memorial in the Station. I don't care what Paul says." He heard Stacy say stubbornly.

"I agree. And regardless, we'll probably have Mr. King behind us on that one. But we'll have to wait until it's officially announced. I don't want to be the one who releases it through the grapevine." Billy said, agreeing with her.

Schemee knocked on the door. Stacy pulled it open looking worried, her face relaxed when she saw him. "Schemee, what are you doing here?" She asked questioningly.

He swallowed. "I've come to talk to you, both of you." He said, trying to sound determined.

"Come on in." Billy said and Stacy held the door open for him. He closed it behind him.

He gestured to behind the closed door. "Is that where _Paul_ is?" He asked, feeling the anger rising again.

Stacy nodded slowly, while Billy looked on worriedly at him. "You did come to talk to us, right Schemee? Don't tell me that you've come to talk to Paul as well."

Schemee gave an indignant snort. "No. I have nothing to say to him. Actually, that's not true. I have lots to say to him. But not now, now yet. I did come to talk to you two. I need more information, there's so much that I haven't been told about what's going on."

Stacy gave a mournful sigh. "Oh Schemee, I know how hard this is for us and I can't even imagine how hard all this is for you. But really, there are somethings that you are just better off not knowing."

"Ms. Jones, my Uncle is dead." He began to say, anger seeping into his voice. But he had to give a pause. It was the first time he had said the words aloud, suddenly it all seemed so real. To say it aloud was to admit it. His Uncle Schemer was gone. He gave a shaky gasp and paused. He felt his nerve and resolve slipping and momentarily felt like running from that office, the station, as fast as he could. But he didn't. By mentioning his Uncle he had called to mind an image of his Uncle. He could only picture his Uncle, standing beside his arcade with Schemee in an identical suit, plotting up his next plan. The image was replaced with the ugly office that was being renovated over top of his Uncle's arcade.

"My Uncle is dead." He said in a quieter but perfectly steady voice. "And I want to know what happened. If that Paul guy is actually guilty, then I want to make sure that he gets put behind bars where he belongs." He said determinedly.

Stacy and Billy looked at each other, looking slightly nervous.

"Please... You two are the only ones who can help me right now. I know you want to see him pay for it as much as I do. Why won't you help me?" He pleaded.

"We don't know the entire story." Billy said after awhile. "We don't know why you're Uncle was individually targeted, we really don't. It may have just been a scare tactic. Paul made it clear that it's his goal to keep us 'in line' as he puts it. All we know is he wants the Station and he wants to be the Indian Valley Railroad's co-owner. We don't know why he was so threatened by your Uncle."

Schemee felt himself deflate a little bit. He had hoped that they would know a little bit more. "Okay, but he definitely admitted to doing it, right? There has to be some proof."

"He admitted to it, to me. And if it's my word versus his we really don't have much. He's almost guaranteed to be the new co-owner and I'm not exactly in the best standing with Mr. King right now." Stacy admitted. "What I do know about Paul is that he was eager to use any information to his leverage to boost himself in Mr. King's eyes. Even if that meant lowering everyone else's reputations to make his look better."

"Did he do that to my Uncle? Lower his reputation, I mean." Schemee asked.

Stacy nodded. "His and mine. He found things that he could use against us and used it to his advantage."

Schemee looked thoughtful for a moment. A sudden memory clicked in his head.

_Schemer looked thoughtful. "Look, I want to tell you, I really do. And I will, I promise, I just need to make sure everything is sorted out and we're ready to actually go public with it." He explained._

_Schemee nodded, looking slightly more convinced. "Okay, I guess that's too bad that it's complicated though. For you, I mean." He said._

_Schemer nodded. "Yes, and I can't wait until it's less complicated, but until then I'm happy where I am right now."_

_"I'm glad you're dating, by the way. It's nice to see that you have someone." Schemee said sincerely._

_"Thanks, I appreciate that a lot, I think you'll like her." Schemer said ironically._

He looked at Stacy and realization dawned on him. "You... It was you!" He said, all the while wondering why he hadn't considered it sooner. "You were dating my Uncle, weren't you?"

She looked both guilty and despondent. Schemee suddenly felt sorry that he brought it up. Obviously she'd be upset over the death of her friend, but the death of someone who she was also seeing was sure to hurt even more. "I... Err, I'm sorry Stacy." He offered sadly.

She shook her head. "No, that's alright Schemee. And yes, you're right. We were." She added sadly.

"So, that probably had something to do with Paul? No, I'm sorry. That doesn't really concern me." He said, again regretting that he had opened his mouth.

"Schemee, never be sorry for wanting to know the truth. This entire ordeal has been very confusing and with the information available it's been like trying to put together a five thousand piece puzzle of just one colour together. I know you want to do something, want to figure out everything, but I can't see you or any of us having much luck." She said honestly.

Schemee could quickly feel his confidence leaving. She was right, he was practically working with nothing. "Where is Paul anyways? Aren't you worried about him snooping around here?" He asked.

Billy was the one to speak up this time. "No, we know for sure that he's been in Snarlyville all day. He's got a lot of paperwork to sort out with the main office. That being said, he does snoop around here often. He's doing his best to keep us in line and off his case."

Schemee nodded. "Has he threatened either of you?"

"Yes, he's been holding your Uncle's death above our heads. He's not threatening us with losing our jobs, he's threatening our lives. He wants us working here and pretending to like him." Stacy explained bitterly.

"So, you can't quit because he's threatening you either way?" He asked, feeling some of the information click in his head.

"Yes exactly. If he ever found out we had done something like give his name to the police, he'd surely make sure we were 'shut up' as well. He's got the station almost entirely under his control." Billy said.

Schemee paused, taking everything in. "What's the harm in letting you leave? There has to be something that makes him want to keep you here. He could have a whole new staff if he got rid of, not that I want either of you to lose your jobs. But seriously, why keep you both here when he knows that you know his secret and hate him entirely?" He asked, beginning to pace around the office.

"We have no idea, he's just made it clear that he wants us here." Stacy said, beginning to frown in thought. "Why? What exactly are you suggesting?"

"I think... I think he wants to keep you here. He wants you both in plain view where he can watch you carefully. If he can control your work life, he can control you elsewhere. Shining Time is a small town, he would have no real trouble keeping an eye on you outside of work. He's probably got people working for him." His mind was reeling. There were so many possibilities.

"Schemee, please! This is bad enough, we don't want to be checking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives!" Stacy snapped.

"No, you don't! So why are you just letting him?" Schemee asked.

"You think we wanted this? Schemer's dead, Mr. Conductor's gone, and a maniac is taking over our lives!" She said, near tears.

Billy started to say something but Schemee cut him off. "He doesn't just want to watch you, there's more to it. How would the rest of Shining Time react to replacements? Once my Uncle's death becomes news, it'll look even worse for him if the rest of the staff take off. Like I said, Shining Time is a small town. But it's close knit. No one would want to come to this station if he took over and replaced you. And by that point, he'd have no other station to go to. He needs you, and right now, you're letting him use you." He concluded, suddenly feeling triumphant.

"How can he not? We're stuck Schemee. He's watching us at work and outside of work, as you say, and we have no way out. It's our lives on the line now." Billy said grimly.

Schemee shook his head with disappointment. "You're not seeing it. You think that he could get away with killing more people? There's two of you and one of him. He can't kill you. Not a chance. Fine, add me to the mix as well. I'm seeing this until the end. Now it's three versus one." He said, his eyes gleaming.

"You suggested that he probably had people working for him." Stacy said nonchalantly.

"So? There more people, friends and family of my Uncle, can't all suddenly go missing and not raise anymore suspicion. He's smart, he knows that. He's using your fear against you." Schemee said.

The office went silent for a minute. "You want us to blindly trust that we won't suddenly go missing if we decide to do anything?" Billy asked seriously.

Schemee gave a deep breath. He paused. "No... I'm just telling it like it is. I can't actually ask you to do anything. All I know is that right now, we're completely vulnerable. We're divided, we're all scared, and we're still hurting. But together, we stand a chance. We actually have a chance to figure something out. Regardless of what you do, I'm going all the way. I'll do whatever it takes to see my Uncle's killer behind bars."

Once again nobody spoke. Finally Billy stood up from his desk. "I'll admit it. I'm scared, terrified even. Paul has us pretty much cornered." He gave a pause while Schemee and Stacy looked on. "But, I could not call myself Schemer's friend if I didn't do everything in my power to help him rest in peace. I'm in." He concluded and extended his hand. Schemee grinned widely and accepted it.

Stacy regarded the exchange wordlessly. She exited the room silently while Schemee and Billy watched her retreating back. Schemee felt momentarily disappointed. He felt like if anyone would be willing to help, it'd be her. He turned back to Billy while footsteps and rummaging could be heard from around Stacy's desk. They waited in silence as the footsteps became quieter and farther away. A sudden crash made them both jump backwards. They quickly exited the office to see the knob of the door to Paul's half renovated office smashed on the floor. They looked at each other and back to the office door, which was thrown open. Moments later Stacy exited, a baseball bat slung over her shoulder as she replaced her Stationmaster's hat to her head. She grinned wickedly as she stepped out of the office, kicking the knob aside with one of her red high-heeled shoes.

"Sorry, I just really needed my hat back. I'm in, and I'm ashamed I didn't do anything sooner. Thank you Schemee, for kicking me back into gear." She said as she walked back over to them. She stowed the bat beneath her desk once more in it's hiding place. "But I will say this. Apart from today, Paul is always here. We just got lucky for today. And if he's watching us, we'll need to go somewhere he won't go near."

Schemee grinned at her. "I don't know how well he's watching you, that was just a theory. Though it's probably best to assume that he's watching all the time, it'll keep us on our toes. I've got an idea. The news get's released tomorrow. My Uncle's old house is sure to be swarming with people. Since we weren't able to locate next of kin, my Uncle's dad, I'm next of kin. I've got the house for the meantime. It'll work perfectly as a cover. You and Billy come over the following evening and I'll somehow work out how to get past my Great Uncle."

"You want to use your Uncle's old house? Are you sure Schemee? It might be hard to go back so quickly." Billy asked gently.

"I know, but I've got to do something and it's all I've got right now." Schemee said grimly.

* * *

For the first time in days, Schemer opened his eyes. It took a moment, and several minutes of blinking, to adjust. His vision slowly returned to it's usual state and he gave a low moan as his eyes readjusted to the light. He wasn't sure where he was or how he got there but in his mind he could only think about getting up and leaving. His mind was still delirious with fever and he could barely register how weak his body was. As he raised his body, too fast, he was hit with a dizzy spell and a wave of nausea. His head hit the pillow once more and he remained still for a moment. After a moment he raised himself once more, this time slower and tenderly. Placing his feet on the ground he gave himself no time to test his weight or balance. He was able to stand but his balance was off and he rocked slightly yet was completely unaware that he was doing so.

His steps were far from careful and he may not have realized it but he was causing a great strain on his body. He made it across the room and to the door where he promptly collapsed. He never hit the floor and never realized how lucky he was to have a pair of arms grab him by the chest. He went limp in his father's arms and allowed unconsciousness to consume him once more. Jasper gave a relieved sigh that he had been walking past at that moment but also felt nervous that he had almost had a face to face with his son. He walked Schemer back over to the bed and laid him down. Alice walked in as Jasper was covering him with the blankets once more. She walked over to the bed and checked his temperature.

"I have a feeling that his fever should be breaking soon. He'll get worse but if all goes well he'll recover quickly." She explained.

"And if it doesn't go well?" He asked seriously.

"Well... We'll see." She said, at loss for words.

He sighed. "I just don't understand it. How could he just happen to be knocked out and washed up on a beach? Fine, even if it were an accident, how did he wind up with so many bruises and injuries?" He asked aloud.

She shook her head. "I have no idea dear. It's clearly not an accident though. Someone wanted him dead for whatever reason."

He nodded grimly. "Yes... Someone obviously did."

"You've spoken with his mother, your ex-wife, in the past, to keep up with your children from a distance. Had she ever mentioned him in any sort of trouble? Involved with the wrong people?" She asked.

He looked thoughtful. "Once, when he was younger. But I do know that he's long since moved past that. I don't think that's the cause." He turned to his wife. "When he wakes up, could you please ask him? Just try and get some information out of him."

She nodded. "I will. But you have to promise me something." She said with a smile.

"What's that?"

"You have to talk to him afterwards."

"I... I don't think I'm ready to talk to him." He said worriedly. "I know, I know. I've been saying that I would. But I just don't think I can do it." He stammered.

She frowned slightly. "Jasper, stop worrying-" She began to say.

"No! That's the thing, I can't stop worrying. He hasn't seen me since he was fifteen years old! I smashed a glass bottle on his head-"

"Unintentionally." She added.

"That's not the point! I was arrested, and he hasn't seen me since. Not to mention that I never bothered coming back after I was released, I left and never came back. And to be perfectly honest, I don't regret it for the action. My old family deserved better, and if I came back, clean or not, I feel like they'd still be better off without me." His nervous tirade was silenced by his wife's finger being placed on his lips. The normally extremely serious and unemotional man was panicking, and only his wife could calm him down.

"You listen to me Jasper. Regardless of whether he welcomes you back into his life with open arms or hightails it out of here as fast as he can, you need to talk to him. If you talk to him and apologize or say whatever it is that you need to say, you will finally have the opportunity to try and forgive yourself. If he makes a full recovery, then you will also be saddled with the knowledge that you saved his life." She said seriously.

He sighed heavily. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry, I'm just really stressed out over it."

"Everything will work itself out in the end, you'll see." She said gently.

* * *

Schemee entered his Uncle's old house tentatively. It was the first time he had been inside since that fateful day and he felt quite nervous. Well, not quite nervous, more like anxious. Going back was a pretty hard thing to do. Everywhere he looked he was reminded of his Uncle. Every room, every picture brought back a memory or a ghost from the past. It was virtually impossible to avoid thinking about him, he was everywhere and could not be ignored. Especially not by Schemee. Somehow he could not bring himself to go upstairs. Yes, his old room was up there, but he'd have to pass by his Uncle's den and view the door to his Uncle's bedroom at the end of the hall. He was standing in the middle of the living room, observing some old family pictures on the mantle, when Stacy walked in.

"Hey Schemee." She greeted gently. He faced her and gave her a small smile in acknowledgement. She walked over to him and stood side by side.

"Do you need some alone time?" She asked quietly as she viewed some of the pictures.

He shook his head. "No, I'm fine I guess. It's just so hard to come to terms with." He said painfully.

She grimaced. "I have trouble believing it myself." She admitted.

He turned to her. "He was like a parent, no, he was a parent to me. He wasn't just some family member who took me in because he had to. Yes, he did have responsibility to do so, but he actually cared. He was always there for me, always. Even before my mother died he was always looking out for me." He admitted sadly.

Stacy pulled him in for a motherly hug. He relaxed slightly in her embrace. "I know, you've been so brave about all this. He loved you very much." She said softly.

"He and my mother didn't really get along. Well, that's not entirely true. They used to get along just fine but they clashed when she moved out to the city with me. He wanted her to stay in Shining Time and was willing to support her and me but she wanted the independence I think. I think she wanted to prove that she could do it on her own. He was her younger brother yet he still did everything he could to help us out. Even though she struggled taking care of me in the city she stubbornly refused his help. I was often left alone while she worked one of her jobs, and she had a couple dead end jobs that she juggled. One night, a few weeks before she died, he found out that she had left me alone. He was furious, that's one of the few times I've actually seen him really mad. He came down and took care of me and waited for her to come home. I could hear their fight from my room late that night. They had a huge falling out and he accused her of not doing what was best for me. He left but promised that he'd be back to make sure she was taking care of me properly. He did come back, and watched me those nights she worked late, but they never spoke to each other. She was killed when she was hit by a drunk driver that one night and you know the rest." He explained.

"I loved my mother, but she didn't always have my best interests at heart. I don't think she ever got over my father's death and was never quite right after that. My uncle was the one who always took care of me, he was the only real parent I've ever known." He finished.

Stacy, nodded sadly. "I'm sorry that your life has been so full of loss. But at the same time I feel like your uncle has impacted the loves of everyone around him in a way that no one will ever forget. We were all lucky to have known him. I don't think that I'll ever stop missing him." She said sadly.

The door opened once more and they turned to see Billy entering the house. "Hi all. Sorry I'm late, Paul came back and I made up excuses for all of us though." He said.

"Oh, what are they?" Stacy asked curiously.

"You are currently in Dillylick, I've got a close friend that works there that will vouch for you should he ask. I am at home, which is just across the forrest between mine and Schemer's houses. I've got the blinds closed but the television on should anyone decide to creep on my property. Oh and Bear is out and around. He's a good judge of character, he'll scare off any threatening person. I left my car in the driveway and walked across the forest."

Stacy smiled, Bear was Billy's faithful wolfhound. He was a hulking beast of a dog but had a heart of gold. "I parked my car a little ways away. It's quite hidden and no one was around when I parked and walked over."

Schemee also smiled. "You two have all the bases covered I see."

Billy nodded. "We've also been talking. It's important that we don't get the town involved." He said. "Yet." He added.

Schemee raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"Stacy and I have been talking. When the news is announced tomorrow, we want to let everyone take it in. You know, let them grieve. Something that we haven't been really able to do. We don't want to shock them with the other news just yet. The other thing is that Stacy and I are going to go to Mr. King. We want to talk to him first and see what he knows of the situation." He explained.

"But won't that get you in trouble potentially?" Schemee asked.

"Potentially. But this is more important." Stacy said.

"We have a problem with actually catching him though. We have no physical proof." Billy explained.

"But we do know that it exists!" Stacy exclaimed suddenly. "He showed me the day of! He showed me... Um..." She trailed off suddenly, looking downtrodden.

"Showed you what?" Schemee pressed urgently.

"Well, it was a piece of Schemer's favorite tie... I'm sorry I didn't remember sooner, I think I had sort of pushed it clear from my mind." She said quietly.

Schemee looked away in disgust. "I try to forget how morbid this situation is. But that man is a monster. I will do anything to see him behind bars." He swore.

"I know, and it is very morbid. But this is a lead." Billy said. Schemee nodded in agreement.

"You two, go to Mr. King tomorrow and explain what you're going to explain. I'm going to search Paul's office tomorrow, so I'm also going to have to ensure that nobody is around the station." Schemee said, reclining in his chair and steeple-ing his fingers.

"I can talk to Mr. King, why don't you figure out how to make sure that Paul isn't around the Station?" Stacy suggested.

"Absolutely, I'll think of something." Billy said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Thank you both, for agreeing to this I mean. I couldn't do anything without you." Schemee said gratefully.

"It's the least we can do, for you and your Uncle's memory." Billy said while Stacy nodded.

"Justice is going to be served, I'll make sure of it myself." Schemee said tenaciously.


	10. Chapter 10

Understanding and Promises: Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Don't own anything

Authoresses Note: Upload number two of the weekend. I'm on a roll. Please leave your comments, I've worked hard to get these out to you all and I love hearing your comments, criticism and kind words!

**Revised on May 5, 2013**

* * *

There was a town meeting being held the next day to announce Schemer's death. Since Shining Time was a small place, everybody knew each other. It was better to break the news to everyone at once.

Billy was fortunate in that he didn't actually need to come up with a distraction. Paul informed Billy the morning of the meeting that he would indeed attend the meeting, because as a servant of the public it was his duty to support the townspeople. However, he would be late, as he was leaving for Snarlyville momentarily and then make his way over to the town hall once he was finished his other business. Billy was mildly suspicious, as he would have preferred to keep Paul in his sights, but Paul did indeed leave on the next train to Snarlyville.

Closer to the meeting, Billy flipped the sign at the Station to 'Closed' and sent word to Schemee that the coast was clear. This would be Schemee's moment to get his part done. The moment that Billy left was the moment that Schemee was free to go about his business. Billy had given him his Uncle's old copy of the key so that he could get in easily. While Paul was gone during the day, Billy had had a key constructed for Paul's office. He hid the key in his own office and told Schemee where it was kept.

Schemee had been waiting around the side of the building for his moment. Moments later, Billy came around the side and told him the Station was empty and that the entire town. Schemee quickly set about to work. He retrieved the key from Billy's office and let himself into Paul's. His heart was pounding as he went about his job, searching every drawer and cupboard without disturbing it's contents. As the search continued to produce no results, he became increasingly frustrated. He snarled in frustration and slammed a cupboard. He couldn't fail his Uncle, not this time. A small and almost inaudible sound caught his ear. Almost like the tinkling of a bell... Or a train whistle?

"Hello?" He whispered. He scanned the room and suddenly noticed something.

Gold dust. A small amount had been sprinkled on the floor. It was currently resting on a cigar box, sitting on a mid level shelf. Schemee frowned and reached forward. It was definitely gold dust. He bit his lip and opened the box, his heart stopping in his chest. There it was. The bloodstained piece of tie was sitting in the glove box. His lip curled in disgust and his heart felt a combination of deep sorrow and fury. This man, this monster, had murdered his Uncle. He replaced the box quickly on the shelf and walked out. He didn't want to get his fingerprints on the tie, only Paul's and his Uncle's should be found on it by the police.

He stepped out of the office and locked it quickly. He walked around the building, searching for his other thought to be deceased friend. "Mr. Conductor?" He whispered. He walked over to the signal house on the mural and stared at it. He whispered the name once again but received no answer. Shaking his head in confusion he wondered if he had just imagined the sound and if the gold dust was just something leftover. Mr. Conductor couldn't be alive, it just wasn't possible. He turned around to leave the Station, knowing that he now had grounds to call the police. However, there was an obstacle in the way of the door. Schemer jumped backwards and felt his heart leapt into his throat.

Standing in the entrance was Paul himself, and he was wearing a bemused expression on his face. Schemee's heart pounded in his chest and he couldn't breath, his airway felt constricted and his chest was tight with fear.

"Well now, what do we have here? A little intruder in my Station?" Paul said smoothly. "I just returned from conducting my business in Snarlyville and needed another report before I made my way down to the meeting. Why aren't you at the meeting little boy?" He asked.

Schemee found the use of his tongue once more. He felt a jolt of anger at being called 'little boy'. "I've already heard the news. I didn't need to go see the town make a spectacle of the news." He said curtly. He was desperately trying to curb his anger.

Paul frowned suddenly. "Step forward son. Let me get a better look at you." Schemee wanted to hiss back at him and retort to the phrase 'son' but obeyed. He stepped forward into the better light and recognition spread across Paul's face.

"Oh, family of the deceased?" He questioned, trying to sound sympathetic, and failing miserably. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Schemee swallowed and let his mouth run, he needed a good cover for being at the Station. "Thanks... I, um, didn't want to go see the news be given to everyone. It's been... so hard as it is. I wanted to come back and see the Station one last time to, you know, remember some of the... good times." He lied through his teeth. Well, it was only partial lying. Some of it was true, he thought ironically.

Paul nodded and Schemee could see that at least some of his suspicion had faded, though not all. "Well then, you better run along nonetheless. I can't exactly leave you alone here. What's your name?"

"Schemee." He said simply and he saw Paul smirk. He made a motion to leave and began walking towards the front door somewhat warily. This man was a killer and he wanted to get out of his presence as soon as possible.

"Was he your father?" Paul asked to Schemee's retreating back. .

"Adopted. I'm his nephew." Schemee said quietly.

Paul nodded. "You look a little bit like him. You should get going now, I'll lock up behind myself." He said, Schemee just nodded and continued to walk. "Oh and Schemee?" Paul called as Schemee had his hand on the door.

"Yes?" He asked warily.

"You best be careful. I'd hate for anything to happen to two people in one family. It's probably best if you don't wander around Stations after hours." He suggested coldly.

Schemee felt a chill go up his spine but managed to fake a smile. "Okay..." He said and walked out, letting his legs take him as far away from the station as possible.

* * *

The town meeting was not a happy one and Schemer's death was not well received. Mayor Flopdinger was the one to break the news. There was a collective gasp when it was announced and as the funeral service information was announced sniffs and sobs could be heard throughout the crowd. Stacy saw Midge Smooch and Ginny, with their heads close together, crying after the announcement. Stacy's heart felt heavy, the way it had been announced to her was anything but gentle yet her heart was still breaking for the townspeople. Fortunately for them, they had been spared the details of his death and were told that it was still under investigation.

No one in town had ever heard about what had happened at the previous staff party and their relationship as a whole was such a well kept secret that nobody ever suspected. And despite how she had broken up with him, she now she regretted never going public with it. She was proud that she and Schemer had been more then friends and she wanted people to know how special he was to her. But now it felt like it was too late. Based on her actions and her wishes in that relationship, she felt that she had made it less special than it could've been.

"No!" She thought to herself fiercely. "It was special. A relationship is supposed to be shared between two people, not an entire town. Regardless of whether people knew about it or not didn't downplay the uniqueness of it. Or how much it meant to both of us."

Still, there were so many things she wished she could have said. So many things that she could have done differently, like putting her feelings ahead of the Station. And her heart clenched at the thought that his last memory of her was kissing Paul. He probably died thinking she was unfaithful, cruel and cold. She never even told him how much she loved him. That was her biggest regret.

The town meeting came to an end and the townsfolk shuffled out remorsefully. There was some talking amongst groups and families, expressing their shock and sadness at the news. Stacy scanned the crowd for Mr. King. Billy was talking with a group consisting of Midge, Ginny, Felix Perez, Winston Barlow, and the children. Well, they weren't quite children anymore. They looked like a group of young adults now. Especially Matt and Tanya, who were about to graduate from high school. Matt, Tanya, Dan, Kara, and Becky were there, looking deeply effected by the news. It wasn't any wonder that they were so upset. They might not have been raised by Schemer, like Schemee had, but they had grown up around him. Stacy, Schemer and Billy had been the adults they came to for help, advice or, more so in Schemer's case, a laugh. Stacy met Billy's eyes and he nodded in Mr. King's direction. Stacy quickly cut Mr. King off as he was leaving.

"Excuse me sir, may I have a word outside?" He nodded his head in the affirmative and she led him to a spot on the steps out front that wasn't occupied by any lingering people.

"I'm sorry Ms. Jones for what happened. I know you were... close." He said somewhat awkwardly.

It occurred to Stacy that he might be feeling responsible for what happened. If Schemer had stayed in Shining Time, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

"Thank you, but I've got something very important to tell you. It's about Schemer's death. It wasn't an accident sir." She said pleadingly.

He gave a sigh. "I certainly don't think it was, his car was found by the docks with signs of a struggle near the Indian Valley Railroad storage unit."

Stacy hadn't known that piece of information but filed it away for future reference. She took a deep breath and said what she came to say.

"Paul killed him." She said simply.

"I... Wait, what?" He questioned, registering what she had said.

"Paul murdered Schemer. He told me, he showed me a piece of Schemer's tie that he had taken from him." She explained.

A silence fell between the two as Mr. King took in this information. He finally cleared his throat and spoke slowly.

"Ms. Jones, that is a very strong accusation to make-"

"I know but it's-"

"-and it's one that I don't believe for a second." He spoke over her.

Her heart sank. "But sir, you have to listen-"

"I don't have to do anything, Ms. Jones!" He snapped. "Do you honestly think that I would hire a cold blooded killer to be my second in command?"

"Yes, because even you can make mistakes! He's a snake, he's good at lying and even you could be fooled!" She said angrily.

"Ms. Jones I am giving you three seconds to withdraw your earlier statement! One-" He began to say angrily.

She was about to raise her voice at him and tell him how wrong he was, and how disrespectful to Schemer his denial was, but a group of people walking up the steps distracted her. A group of three, led by Paul, were walking towards Mr. King with determination. She closed her mouth, which had been left gapping during her speech and Mr. King turned around to follow her gaze.

"Mr. King, a word if you please?" Paul asked with polite coolness.

"Paul, you missed the whole meeting, where have you been? You missed the very unfortunate news." He said, looking disappointed at Paul's lack of attendance.

Stacy said nothing, and looked on with morbid curiosity. Something was going to happen, and it wasn't going to be good.

"I know, I regret that I wasn't present at the meeting, I was held up at Shining Time Station. However I was already informed by some of your other employees. I also regret the news itself, it's a terrible event of course." He said with fake sincerity. Stacy bristled but kept her composure.

"Well, what is it then?" Mr. King inquired, looking a little suspicious.

"Well, you see, I was just perusing some old records and files at Snarlyville and Shining Time Station and found out some disturbing things." He gave a mock sigh. "Mr. King, is it true that you allowed one Horace Schemer to return to work at the very Station that he started a full passenger car?" Paul asked, his eyes blazing victoriously.

"Well, yes... but..." Mr. King sputtered. "Now see here, what is this?" He thundered at Paul.

"Mr. King, I've placed an appeal on your position as Head of the Indian Valley Railroad. And I've won, this lovely lawyer here confirmed the details this morning. I just had to return to Snarlyville to pick up the legal documents." He explained quietly.

Mr. King just looked at him with an incredulous look on his face. "This is an outrage!" His voice began to raise.

"You've been displaced from your position due to being declared unfit to run the railway. You have two days to vacate your office." Paul stated matter-of-factly.

"And you've made a huge mistake Paul!" Mr. King jabbed a finger into his chest. "Who could possibly run the railroad without me?" He roared.

"That's why I've had this judge here accompany me, he is hear by instating me as the new Head of the Indian Valley Railroad. It's perfectly legal and binding and my lawyer wrote up the contract. I was the only applicant, save for the deceased Mr. Schemer, and with the full buy-in cost I am now in charge and own 100% of the stock." Paul beamed.

Billy had since moved closer to the group. He and Stacy stood side by side as they watched the whole thing unfold. Things were beginning to make a lot more sense now. Mr. King gaped at paul in horror. He backed up to where his employees were standing.

"I can't believe it... This can't be true..." He said in shock.

"It is, now I believe it's time to bid you a good day. Stacy, Billy, I fully expect to see you at work tomorrow. There's no negotiations on the matter." He said darkly.

He turned around and walked away. At first, Stacy was rooted to the spot in terror, unable to believe that he was now in full control of her life. There was no escape. But then, Schemee's words came back to her.

_We're divided, we're all scared, and we're still hurting. But together, we stand a chance._

"No Paul." She said commanded, her voice holding all the authority of a true Station Mistress. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to face her.

"What did you say?" He demanded.

"I said, no." She replied stubbornly. "I'm not going to be working for you for another second. I'm not working under a maniac any longer!"

"I believe I said there wouldn't be any negotiations, now you better just play nice and follow my orders." He spoke softly and dangerously. The judge and lawyer had already left, so he wasn't trying to cover his words in the face of people of the law, he was trying to put on his full intimidation tactics.

"I'm going on strike! Against Shining Time Station and the Indian Valley Railroad!" She said with a snarl.

He fell silent once more before giving a cold bark of laughter. "Ms. Jones, how does one person plan to go on strike?" He drawled.

She fell silent but suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going too." Billy's deep voice said from behind her.

Paul sputtered in rage. "You both can't leave, you're the only two staff at Shining Time Station!"

The group of people with Billy crowded around Stacy and Billy. "We're in too, we've grown up at Shining Time Station!" Becky said tearfully.

"I don't know what's going on, but I fully plan to find out Paul. And until everything is fine, I refuse to use the Indian Valley Railroad." Midge said angrily.

Paul stood there, fuming silently. "Then so be it. I don't need you, I've already got control of the railroad. I'll give you one more chance to come around Ms. Jones."

She raised her head confidently. "I'm not budging." She said.

"I see." He nodded. "Then we have nothing left to say to each other." He turned and walked briskly down the many steps of the town hall building.

The group stood in subdued silence, for those who had just heard the news today, the wound was still very raw. "We've got work to do. Let's go find Schemee and see what he's found." Stacy said, leading the group back towards Schemer's house.

* * *

Schemee stood in the living room, everyone centered around him. "I managed to find our evidence. I've called the police and left an anonymous tip. I made it detailed enough and they're definitely going to reinvestigate it. They've finally got our suspect on their radars."

A collective cheer befell the room, and for a second Schemee felt a rush of happiness. After a few hours of planning, supporting and comforting each other, it was just Billy, Stacy and Schemee left.

Schemee felt almost as if he was the replacement to the old trio, and he hated the feeling. He didn't want to feel like he was taking his Uncle's place as the head, well, schemer for lack of a better word. Once all this was over, he'd give up scheming and tricking for good. It would be his last big scheme, and it would be in his Uncle's honour.

"I'll start up my car and give us all a ride back to my place. I don't want either of you staying in empty houses tonight." Billy explained seriously.

Stacy gave a small smile, "Or you don't want to be alone?"

He gave a light laugh, "That too."

After he left with his car keys, Stacy and Schemee were alone. He perked up suddenly.

"Oh, Stacy, I completely forgot about something. Our Christmas tree was still up when I came home the other day." He said a little sadly but continued on. "There was one present left under it, it's for you. I think that he would have wanted me to give it to you." He said shyly.

Her eyes widened. She forgot that he had a present to give her. As she thought about it, it just reminded her of how she had broken up with him and she felt another rush of sadness.

Schemee picked up on her mood, "If you don't think you can handle it, I can just hang onto it for awhile." He suggested.

"No, no, it's fine. I was just thinking about something. I'd be honoured to take it." She said.

Hours later when they had settled into Billy's house, and the other two had fallen asleep, she opened the small package carefully by moonlight. The wrapping paper revealed a small jewelry box, and upon opening it she discovered the most beautiful and most tragic present she had ever received in her life. Closing the box carefully, she enclosed her hand around it and held it close to her heart, planning on getting a chain for it so that she could wear it there forever.

* * *

Paul's office had been thoroughly searched that very day. He was fuming, but had already long removed the incriminating tie piece after his encounter with the Schemee brat. He was still in the clear, and he had recently moved forward with the other part of his plan which had granted him total control of the railway. First Schemer, then King. Those were his two obstacles. The strike and railway protest had struck him with anger, but to be honest he didn't actually need the employees or clients. Not anymore, he had only needed their support, given willingly or forced, before he had achieved the power that he needed. Still, that Jones woman had crossed him one too many times. Not to mention all the town people who rejected him, they would all pay soon.

It was time for the last and final step of his plan. To be perfectly honest, he hated rail travel entirely. His parents had been killed in a train wreck and he had never gotten over their deaths. Yet, he spent most of his life working for railways. So that he could understand them, figure out how they worked, and then when the time was right, destroy the whole organization from the inside out. His plan was to make an example of the Indian Valley Railroad, and show the world how obsolete and useless rail travel was. Once sufficient damage had been doled out, he could use the aftermath to promote air travel. Which was, in his mind, a much more reliable and profitable way of transportation.

Once he had shown the country the mess that a railway was, he would rip up all the tracks, and use all the land to create a series of airports, with one large, central one built entirely on the former town of Shining Time Station. The remaining town people would be forced to move, because he had enough money to purchase all the land. The railroad would just be a minor cost to him, an overhead if you will.

With a smirk he called up his thugs. "You know where Twofeathers keeps his engine, yes? It's time to frame those strikers and take care of a few adversaries if you know what I mean..."

A garbled response came from the other end. Paul smiled wickedly.

"Right, we're going to time it perfectly. You know when the afternoon express comes by and you know where Twofeathers' train is. Yes, they're going to go out with a bang." He finished with an evil smile.

From the shadows, a small figure stood watching him. This was the poison that was killing the Station's magic. He had been sent here to stop him. But he needed someone to help him and it didn't seem like the strikers were in any position to help. They were in grave danger it seemed. There was someone else though. A weak magic signal was coming from far away. It would take him awhile to find and reach him but he was this Station's only hope. The twelve inch man disappeared in a cloud of gold dust.

* * *

A groan escaped his lips as the pounding pain in his head was becoming more and more apparent. He was drifting out of unconsciousness and back to land of the living. And it hurt like nothing else. He drew a deep breath and opened his eyes fully for the first time in days. He immediately recoiled at the sunlight filtering in through the closed blinds. His head was aching and he felt a bit shaky. He put a hand to his face and could feel how clammy they were. What had happened to him and where was he?

He opened his eyes, slowly this time, and let them adjust to the light. He was in a bedroom, one that was clearly not his own. He was in a twin sized bed which was facing a television on a dresser. Nothing looked familiar to him. He slowly got up and felt his muscles protest from disuse. He stretched out his back, feeling the bones crack in their sockets along his body. He tentatively placed one foot, than the second, on the ground. Finding he had the strength to stand he walked around the room slowly. He was wearing clothes that were not his own, he noticed.

The door opened an a lady that looked to be in her fifties entered, looking shocked to see him. "Oh, you're awake dear." She exclaimed happily.

"Err, what happened to me?" He asked, his voice was hoarse and felt rough in his throat.

"You've had an accident. My husband rescued you from the beach in Dillylick. We've been taking care of you" She said.

He tried to think back but found that his memories were fuzzy regarding what had happened to him. "I'm not sure that I remember." He said truthfully.

"You've had a concussion, it'll come back to you." She reassured him. He nodded and looked around. "Thank you for looking after me. How long have I been here?" He asked.

"A little shy of a week. You've been unconsciousness for the most part, up until now that is." She said with a smile.

Schemer felt that he could trust her, she seemed like a nice lady. "Why don't you lay back down? I'll bring you up something light to eat so that you can get your strength back up. Food might be a hock to your system but I'll make something gentle. Just take it easy Horace."

Thanking her he moved back to the bed. He was pretty much stuck here until he could reach someone he knew or figure out what had happened. Wait, wasn't anybody looking for him? Someone had to worried about him. He reached over and grabbed the television remote and turned it on. He felt so detached and needed to get caught up with current events. He'd have to get ahold of someone soon. He found a news Station and relaxed as the newscasters spoke about recent news. He suddenly thought about something, something the lady had said. She had called him by his first name. How did she know his name if he never gave it to him? He frowned and wondered how she might have found that out. Maybe she had contacted someone who knew him. He felt his eyes droop and began to relax into his pillow once more.

"-in local news, a strike group has formed at the Indian Valley Railroad." His eyes shot open at the news, he worked for the Indian Valley Railroad.

He leaned forward to watch the screen. "They are located at Shining Time Station and appear to be protesting the new ownership."

New ownership? Who was that again? He couldn't quite remember.

"In other news, the search for the missing Shining Time man still hasn't produced any results. The case was reopened due to a new anonymous tip. It is believed that foul play is involved."

What Shining Time man? Who had gone missing?

"Local Horace Schemer disappeared approximately a week ago, any news about his whereabouts would be greatly appreciated by friends and family. Schemer, pictured here, it believed to be deceased at this point-"

Schemer heard nothing else all he could focus on was the picture of his face that had suddenly been flashed in the corner of the screen. Him? The missing Shining Time man was him? And they thought he was dead! His mind suddenly flashed back to the Dillylick docks. Paul had him surrounded by thugs. He had been beaten up and thrown in the water. They had tried to kill him. Everyone thought he was dead.

He suddenly leapt out of bed. He had to get out of here and let someone know that he was alive. He reached the bedroom door but suddenly stopped. But if he went back, he would surely be killed for sure this time. Paul had tried to kill him once, he'd try again in a heartbeat. The women suddenly opened the door again and entered. He suddenly felt suspicious of her.

"Who's your husband?" He asked.

She looked puzzled. "What's wrong dear?"

"You knew my name. You either knew who I was already or new me from the news reports! I'm supposed to be dead if you hadn't noticed. Someone tried to kill me. What made you not come forward to the police?" He asked.

"That was my husband, he thought something fishy was afoot and thought you'd be safer here." She explained.

He nodded. So it was a good thing that no one knew where he was and these people had helped him in more ways then one. He relaxed slightly. "I'm sorry, may I speak to him?" He asked.

She looked thoughtful for a moment but eventually nodded. "I'll go get him." She agreed. He turned around and waited by the bed. The door eventually opened and he turned around to be greeted by the second big shock of the day. For a split second he thought it was his Uncle Allcott, but this man was far too weathered to be his Uncle. They were nearly identical, save for the fact this man had aged faster.

"Horace." The man said simply, not quite knowing what to do or say.

Schemer took a step backwards into the bed in shock, falling into a sitting position. "It's you." He said. "You're the one who found me."

He nodded his head. "Yes, it was me."

Schemer regarded him with narrowed eyes, trying to read the man in front of him. He was still taller, Schemer hadn't quite grown to his father's full height. And his father was currently regarding him with the same analytical look that Schemer was wearing. Both were trying to measure the other up, trying to determine what angle each was going to go for.

"So... You got remarried?" Schemer finally asked, breaking the long silence. He never broke eye contact with his father.

"Yes, well your mother and I eventually legally separated." Jasper explained simply.

"Hmm." Was all Schemer said, he couldn't really find anything else to respond with.

"I cleaned up." His father suddenly said. "I've been clean for fifteen years now."

"That's good."

Jasper noticed that while his son was being civil, his answers were curt and somewhat cold. He didn't blame him though.

"Your wife seems very nice." Schemer finally offered.

"Alice? Yes, she's a very wonderful person. Look, Horace I'm very sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances-"

"Would we have even met at all? If this didn't happen, that is." Schemer suddenly asked, looking up and meeting his father's eyes with a hard stare. "You have been clean for fifteen years, you have been in some contact with my mother, yet you never even tried to contact Julie or me."

"Would you have wanted me to come back?" Jasper countered.

Schemer curled his lip as he regarded his own feelings on the matter. "No, I wouldn't have." He said with an angry stare.

"I didn't think so, nor do I blame you." Jasper said simply. His lack of showing emotion only served to enrage Schemer.

"How can you stand there and look me in the eyes? How can you act so cold after what you did?" Schemer ground out.

"Because there's nothing I could possibly say to make things better, I've accepted that fact." Jasper explained. "Would me saying 'Sorry' really help you out now?"

"Don't mock me!" Schemer hissed. "Maybe it would, not like you would try. You haven't changed at all, you're still the cold and reclusive person you've always been to me. You don't even regret-"

"I regret many things!" Jasper boomed, cutting Schemer off. Involuntarily, and much to both their shame, Schemer flinched.

Jasper immediately looked awash with emotion. "I... didn't mean to yell like that... I would never, could never, repeat what happened. I swear that to you..." He covered his mouth with his hands, looking more forlorn and lost than Schemer had ever seen him look in his life.

"Mom said it was an accident. Is that true?" He asked.

Jasper looked up. "Yes, it was an accident. But an accident I can never forgive myself for." He said, regret in his voice.

Schemer just nodded, he found it odd to see his father in this state. The cold and unemotional man that was previously in the room with him would be what he could call himself accustomed to. Not this distraught and regretful person here.

"Every time I think about you, every time I've seen you since I brought you back from the beach, is a constant reminder of who I was. I... just have trouble handling it... And I can't even imagine how seeing me must make you feel." Jasper confessed.

"It's a shock, mostly." Schemer confessed. He had no trust for his father, but could tell that his father offered him no danger anymore.

"Just?" Jasper asked, sounding confused.

"Yeah, I mean, I've had my whole life to get over things. Sorry you didn't move on." Schemer said honestly, with a shrug.

"You're sorry? How can you be sorry?" Jasper asked incredulously.

"I don't know, I just am." Schemer snapped, not wanting to talk about it any further.

"You're a better person than I ever could have been." Jasper said softly. "Look, my words can never be enough, is there anything at all that I can do to ever help you?"

"You're right, they probably won't be, and saying 'Sorry' probably doesn't mean much either." Schemer admitted. "To be honest, I just need to figure a way out of this mess, and then get on with my life."

"What were you planning on doing? How are you going to get back?" Jasper asked.

"I'm not. Going back that is. I just can't go back there where someone who wants to kill me is staying. I'm going to leave here as soon as possible and get out of the way of your lives. But I do have to get out of here. I'm not safe and it's probably not safe for you to keep me here." He explained.

"But if they think you're dead, you're not bringing any danger to us here. And I'd prefer that you didn't leave until you're fully healed. You're still injured and a little sick." Jasper explained.

Schemer considered this for a moment. "I would prefer to leave as soon as possible. But, I'll stay for now."

Jasper got up. "Wait here a moment, I've got to go get something." Schemer waited and he came back moments later holding an envelope.

"This is fifteen years worth of money that I saved and tried to give to your mother, for you and your sister. She stubbornly refused but I held onto it until I could find some way to give it to both of you. I think you're going to need it now."

Schemer shook his head. "I can't accept this, I'll only take what I need to get out of here, no offense to you and your wife but I just can't see myself being a part of your lives. There's too much between us and I need to move on, again."

"So, you're really leaving? That's what you've decided?" Jasper asked.

"What choice do I have?" Schemer asked.

Jasper gave a sigh and sat down beside him on the bed. "Sometimes the choice isn't always clear, sometimes it doesn't always present itself as an option that we can take. But there's always a choice. I may not be the best to preach about choices because I've made every bad choice in the book. But I can tell you this, walking away is the hardest thing you'll ever have to do when you've got people left behind."


	11. Chapter 11

Understanding and Promises: Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Authoresses Note:Here's my third chapter for the weekend. I just wanted to tell every Happy Canadian Thanksgiving and to remind everyone to watch the Shining Time Station episode Billy's Party, the Thanksgiving episode. To quote Schemer from the episode.

"Thanks... Thanks for giving."

Thank you Brian O'Connor for giving us such a colourful character. Enjoy everyone!

* * *

Schemee had slipped off early in the morning to go to Dillylick. The police search had turned up nothing at all and he was currently evidence-less until he found the tie again. Paul obviously didn't feel safe keeping it in his office and had moved it. Or thrown it out. Heck, it could've been anywhere. He needed something else, something better. So he figured that it would be worth a chance to go directly to the location. He shuddered at the thought of finding anything morbid but assumed that if no search team could locate anything, then neither could he. Besides, they were looking for something completely different than he was. He was looking for some sort of physical object that could serve as a clue. He got on a train at Shining Time and rode it straight to Dillylick. The docks weren't far from the station so he just walked on over. Before he got there he decided it was time to get ahold of Allcott.

"Hello?" Came Allcott's voice from over the phone.

"Hi, Uncle Allcott. It's me." He said.

"Jonathan! Where have you been? You've been avoiding me for days and everyone I talked kept saying that you weren't around and were busy. I'm not as mobile as I used to be so I can't go running off after you! At first I could handle allowing you your space but this whole situation is out of control now! You're under my watch right now so you better get back here and stop making me worry!" He said angrily.

Schemee sighed. "I'm really sorry that I made you worry. But I can't come back, not until I do something-"

"Do something? What can you do? Please stop putting yourself in danger, you're doing a disservice to your Uncle's memory!"

"I disagree. I want to see justice served!" He argued.

"So do I, oh believe me, so do I. But please, a fifteen year old cannot bring down a criminal. Your Uncle would be horrified at what you're doing!"

"Goodbye Uncle Allcott." Schemee said simply before hanging up the phone.

He could understand Allcott's anger, he had run off and left just a note. But still, he was already into it and wasn't planning on stopping. He made his way to the docks and took a deep breath before entering. Stacy had mentioned that Mr. King had said that there had been signs of a struggle near the Indian Valley Railroad storage unit. That seemed like a good place to start. He located it amongst the labyrinth of units and stood in front of it.

His breath furled in the air in front of him as he stood gazing at the spot. He tried desperately to not imagine what had happened here. He swallowed the lump in his throat and began scanning the area. It had been nearly cleaned up and Schemee wouldn't have been able to tell that a struggle had taken place here if he hadn't been told. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for but he knew he'd recognize it when he saw it. He spent a good hour searching up and down the boards and along the building. He finally took a break and leaned up against the building, folding his arms against his chest to keep warm. It was dead silent here and he lowered his head.

"I'm sorry Uncle." He whispered. A single tear slid down his nose and dripped onto the wooden board beneath him. He made to wipe it away when he heard something. It sounded like wind rustling through dry leaves... or a piece of paper? He perked his ears and listened hard. He could definitely hear a rustling coming from the boards in front of him. He saw a dirty piece of paper stuck beneath some of the boards.

"It's probably just garbage." He thought to himself as he reached his hand through the boards. Still, his heart pounded with hope. He pulled it out and tried to wipe the grime off. The note was still legible and he began to read it. Heart still pounding, his eyes went wide as he went through it. This was titled to his Uncle. This was...

His mouth fell open. He had been set up... And this was proof. He quickly pocketed the letter and dashed towards the station. He was going to get back and go to the police tomorrow. He was going to have Paul put away for good on the day that he was supposed to be made the new co-owner.

* * *

Schemer crept out of the house in the middle of the night. He was careful not to make any noise and slipped out the front door easily. He relocked it with the key located under the rock in the garden and set off. He had felt bad leaving without warning but he didn't want to impose any longer. He was going to find some way to make it up to Jasper and Mary.

Once he was six blocks away he located the nearest pay phone, outside a gas station. After finding the local cab number, he gave his location and waited. Though he and Jasper had decided that train travel wasn't a good idea, Schemer had a plan. The cab would take him to the next nearest train station, located a city over, which effectively brought him out of the Indian Valley Railroad's boundaries. He could safely buy a ticket from an automated booth and get on an early morning train. Something that would take him far away.

Headlights lit up the road and pulled into the parking lot where he was waiting. Schemer entered the cab, gave his destination and sat in silence as he began the journey to the rest of his life. He could honestly say that he felt nothing. There was no joy in this, no hope, no real plans. All he knew was that he was starting over. So, why did it feel like he was on a bridge to nowhere?

"Hey man, do you mind if I turn on the radio? I wanted to keep up with the news." The cab driver asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

Schemer told him that he didn't mind and the ride was once again in silence, save for the sound on the radio. He stared out the window, feeling like a coward. He did his best to push the feelings from his mind, but his effort was in vain. His friends and family were mourning his death and instead of ending they're pain, he was running away. He didn't feel like himself at all. He was scared. When he looked in the bathroom mirror that morning he couldn't even recognize himself. His complexion had an unhealthy pallor from his bout of illness and his eyes carried a haunted look. His normally dark and wavy hair seemed duller in colour and hung limply and lifelessly. And his curl... He had never bothered to try and curl it back up. He had searched his face for some amount of mirth or joy and found none. He felt like he couldn't bring himself to go back home. Somebody had tried to kill him. Though they failed, he felt like they had succeeded in changing who he was. They had successfully taken away all his defining qualities. Closing his eyes, he tried to get some sleep. Again, his efforts were in vain.

"-_The search for the body of Shining Time resident, Horace Schemer, has commenced once more-" _The staticky female voice on the news station said.

His eyes shot open. "What was that?" He asked aloud to no one in particular.

The cab driver turned it up so that his passenger could listen. Schemer lifted his body slightly as he took in the news carried by the radio.

"_-originally called off due to an inconclusive initial search. However, several unnamed people have stepped forward with information on a potential suspect. Neither parties can be named but we can say with certainty that there is a connection between this case and the strike that's currently happening at Shining Time Station of the Indian Valley Railroad-"_

Schemer's heart stopped in his chest. Someone, some people, were trying to make someone responsible for his death. He should have felt somewhat glad that people were trying to avenge him, and he could most likely guess who, but he just couldn't. Not that he was ever planning on going back, but now he knew that he could NEVER go back to his old life. This was like writing his fate in stone. He could never be Horace Schemer again because Horace Schemer was dead and gone and someone was most likely going to jail for killing him. He felt slightly light-headed. He felt like he could've fainted if the cab driver hadn't spoke up.

"It's a shame about that guy. A lot of evil people in this world today." He said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah... Tell me about it." Schemer said dryly. He might've made a joke about the irony if he weren't so depressed. "Actually, do you know anything about that strike they mentioned? I grew up in Shining Time."

"Yeah apparently it's undergoing new ownership or something. That guy used to work there and since he's gone missing some of the people who work at the Station have been striking. They're trying to put his killer in jail and they got a lot of the town to stand behind them. They've had some disagreements with the old owner as well. I'm not entirely sure what the whole story is. It's a big mess nonetheless." Though he didn't have much information to give, Schemer's mind was reeling.

People who work at the Station? That's only Stacy and Billy. They knew... Somehow they knew that Paul was the killer. And they were trying to pin the crime on him. He felt his heart clench. Didn't they know how dangerous Paul was? If they knew that Paul tried to kill him, and thought that he succeeded, then why were they making themselves targets? That also meant both left their jobs for him. They were risking everything, including their lives. Schemer suddenly felt ill. He hadn't realized how long that they had been driving for until the cab driver pulled up to the station. He thanked and paid him, and made his way inside, heading straight for the mens room. He still wasn't completely recovered, he really should have heeded Mary's advice, and was sick from a combination of nerves and stress. Once he made his way over to the sinks he splashed his face with water, trying to make himself feel better. He slowly looked up to his reflection, water dripping from his face and released a deep breath.

Minus facial recognition, he really couldn't recognize his own reflection. He didn't have to worry about anybody else recognizing him, from the news or otherwise, because he wouldn't be able to pick himself out as Horace Schemer in public. Even his clothes made him look completely different, the colourful suits that matched his personality so well were replaced with a plain white t-shirt, jeans and a dark jacket. He averted his eyes to avoid his 'new look' as he washed his hands. He heard a sound and gave a jump. It sounded like a train whistle, but it sounded like it was coming from this room. He turned around suddenly, looking back in forth. Having worked in a train station for years, he figured he knew what a close train whistle sounded like and it certainly never sounded like it was coming from inside any building. He turned back around slowly and was once again met with his reflection in the mirror. This time, however, he did recognize himself and promptly jumped back a foot.

His 'own' reflection stared back at him. Though it wasn't so much staring as it was frowning. And unless he was going crazy, he definitely was not wearing a green plaid suit. At least, he wasn't ten seconds ago. His reflection had his arms folded across his chest and his head cocked to one side. The curl was very much in place and his hair was well groomed once more.

"I must be losing it." He thought to himself.

"Where do you think you're going, Horace?" His reflection asked him, under a scrutinizing glare.

"Yup, definitely losing it." The real life Schemer said aloud. "So, when did reflections start talking? I missed the memo."

The mirror-Schemer gave an indignant sniff. "I'm not just a reflection. I am you. The REAL you. The one you've so gloriously buried beneath your self-pity." He explained.

"Self-pity? You're one to talk. If you're me then you'd know about the attack on my life that happened recently!" He retorted hotly.

"Yes, but you're alive aren't you? And you're a heck of a lot better off than everyone you hold dear if you don't get back to Shining Time." The mirror-Schemer explained.

Schemer narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?" He asked with a frown.

The mirror-Schemer raised his eyebrows in a worried way. "I think there's someone who can better explain this. Schemer, meet Mr. Conductor." He said while sweeping his arm forward. With a plume of gold dust, a twelve inch man appeared in front of Schemer, balancing precociously on the tap before jumping down to the counter with a bow.

Schemer looked dumbfounded. "Why is that doll bowing at me?" He asked.

Mirror-Schemer scoffed. "Will you just listen? We don't have much time, you can ponder the impossibilities of this later!" He said impatiently.

"You're reflection is right." Mr. Conductor said, Schemer noted that he had a very slight Irish accent over his American one. "I'm Mr. Conductor, well, one of them anyways. And I've been looking for you for awhile now."

"How did you find me?" Schemer asked.

"The magic helps. I'm thinking that once you woke up is when I came over here from Sodor, the magical world I'm from, and as you got stronger it was easier to find you. The previous Mr. Conductor, one of my cousins, passed away when the Station's magic died. It's started to come back, because of the work that your friends are doing for you and your own recovery." He explained.

"The Station's magic? But it sounds like it's a disaster over there?" Schemer questioned.

Mr. Conductor nodded gravely. "It is. And right now, you're the only one who has the power to stop it."

Schemer looked on incredulously. "But, me? I'm supposed to be dead right now. I can't just barge in and say I'm alive, I'd be putting myself and everyone else at too much risk." He said uneasily.

"I know, it would be far too risky to do that. Your friends and in great danger. Paul has a plan that's going to take care of anyone in his way. He's completely power hungry, and on the verge of winning whatever plan he's concocted. He's planning something, some sort of train crash. It sounds like he's going to use someone by the name of Twofeathers' train. He's got it out for the strikers and townspeople that have defied him." Mr. Conductor said hurriedly. "He's removed someone named King from the head of the railroad, and now he's in complete charge."

Schemer's heart dropped to his stomach. "But, why can't you tell any of the people on strike? They'd be a much better help than me." He said, feeling ill once more.

Mr. Conductor shook his head. "It's too late at this point. I haven't been around long enough to know who is who. I knew you existed because I can sort of feel the magic telling me. You're the only one who can help anybody."

Schemer gave a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts. "Everyone I care about is in danger... And I have no idea how to help them..." He said in a downcast way.

"Snap out of it! You are Schemer, not just some run of the mill guy!" He reflection snapped at him. "You're going to let this Paul guy trick you? He's definitely planning something, something horrible! He's already shown that he's fine with killing in order to get his way!" He said angrily.

Schemer looked up, feeling the hopelessness rising in his chest. "But, what can I do? I don't even know what he's planning. How can I possibly help anybody?" He asked, feeling both anxious and miserable.

His reflection gave him a sour look. "You disgust me." He said simply before disappearing completely.

Schemer looked down at Mr. Conductor, who looked up with a thoughtful look. "Both of us can only stay so long. I'll have to go back to Sodor soon. Depending on what happens, possibly for good." He said sadly.

Schemer looked back up, his regular and non-magically speaking reflection looking back at him. The downhearted look was worn all over his face. He suddenly felt a wave of disgust. His reflection was right. He frowned angrily at the mirror.

"What am I doing?" He said aloud. Suddenly feeling like his voice was his own again. "What am I doing?" He cried out angrily.

Mr. Conductor looked on, a small smile creeping on his face.

"Everyone is in danger of this madman! Why am I here looking like this? I have to go back... That's my other option, the only option that I should have taken!" He said, he felt like a fire had been rekindled inside of him. He rushed outside into the chilly early morning air. It was about one in the morning, he could be back at Shining Time by about six... If he only had a... Ah yes, there was that problem.

Mr. Conductor reappeared beside him. "I can't get a cab to take me back quickly enough." He said with a panicked voice.

Mr. Conductor looked contemplative for a moment. "I have a feeling I may be breaking some rule somewhere, but I don't care." He removed a whistle from his pocket and blew. A shower of gold dust rained down in front of the two and before Schemer's eyes a car appeared.

But not just any car.

It was his car, the very same make, model and year. The shiny black cadillac gleamed before him. His face broke out into a grin. The key was already in the ignition and he turned the engine over gleefully. The roar sent a feeling of hope through him. Mr. Conductor momentarily appeared on the dashboard.

"I've got to go now. All I can say is good luck, and I really hope that I will see you again under better circumstances." He said hopefully.

Schemer gave him a grin, his true Schemer grin. "Don't worry about it Mr. C, Schemer's on it." Mr. Conductor gave him a smile and threw a small amount of gold dust at Schemer before disappearing.

Schemer gave a cough as it settled. He viewed his rearview mirror and a familiar twist of hair caught his eye. He pulled the mirror closer to see that his curl was perfectly in place and his hair was back to it's normal form. Looking down, he found that his previous clothes had been replaced with one of his suits.

With a grin he put both hands on either side of his head. "Genius time." He said aloud.

* * *

In the early hours of the morning, Schemer made it back to Shining Time. He was thankful for the tinted windows in his car, he didn't want anybody recognizing him. He was going to stop at home first and change into a slightly more inconspicuous suit. Plaid was very much his style and would make him stick out like a sore thumb. He drove through town without gathering any notice and at long last found himself at his house. He pulled in and got out, Schemee was staying with Allcott so he assumed there was no reason to be cautious... That is, until he walked inside.

He looked around the front entrance and had a clear view of the living room. Chairs from the kitchen had been moved inside and with the couches they had been moved into a semi-circle. He frowned and moved closer. There were papers scattered over the coffee table. He picked one up.

"Gather town interest, set up strike location..." He read aloud. All papers were outlined in similar ways, they all had plans written down on them. His house had been used as some sort of planning headquarters. That definitely had to mean that Schemee was involved. He shook his head and moved quickly upstairs. He wanted to change and get out as soon as possible. He'd have to figure out a plan for revealing himself back to his friends, but stopping the train came first. He didn't quite have a plan for stopping the train but he'd have to think on his feet. He found the suit, a simpler black one, and rapidly changed. As he was about to exit his bedroom he heard the front door open.

He froze and pushed the bedroom door open slowly. He couldn't see down the stairs from that angle and exited his room silently and slid slowly along the wall until the front entrance was in sight from the top of the stairs. Billy was at the door and walked into the living room. Schemer could see him searching for a piece of paper amongst the pile. He moved forward but shifted his weight just slightly too far. He slipped and lost his balance, subsequently tumbling down the flight of stairs and crashing into a heap at the bottom.

"Who's there?" Billy quickly snapped. Schemer could hear his heavy footfall coming towards him and suddenly felt himself being picked up roughly by his shoulder. He bit back the pain, still feeling sore from previous injuries and from his fall down the stairs.

"Who do you think you are? This is private property!" Billy growled.

"Thanks Billy, I know." Schemer said sarcastically. He heard a gasp and felt Billy's hand release him. He didn't crash to the floor again but his knees buckled as his weight was placed back on them. Placing his arm on the wall in front of him, he used it to steady himself. His back was turned to Billy and he heard him take a step backwards.

"Schemer? No... It couldn't be... This is impossible." He said in a hoarse whisper.

Schemer turned to face him. "Not entirely."

Billy frowned and moved forward slowly, one arm outstretched. He grabbed Schemer's left arm and methodically checked for a pulse. Schemer just looked bemused. "Not a ghost, sorry to disappoint you." He said with a smirk.

Billy let the arm that he was holding drop and without warming pulled Schemer into a fierce hug.

"Hey, knock it off Billy, it's okay! I'm happy to see you too but I'm having trouble breathing!" He cried out, but he was equally happy to see his friend. In fact, his heart was soaring at the site of someone kind and familiar. It was the most hope he'd had in days. They finally broke apart and Billy wore a ecstatic expression on his face.

"It's not often I get attacked in my own house. What're you doing here anyways? What's been going on here since I've been gone?" He questioned.

Billy shook his head incredulously. "I must be losing it. Schemer, you're supposed to be-"

"Dead? Yeah, I didn't get the memo. I'm quite alive. Solid flesh and bone as you could probably tell from my crash at the bottom of the stairs." He said rolling his eyes.

"How on Earth? And what do you mean 'since you've been gone'? You make it sound like you've been taking a holiday. What the heck happened?" Billy asked with concern in his voice.

Schemer gave a humourless laugh. "It hasn't been a vacation, far from it. I've came back from near death, and I wasn't conscious until a day ago. Paul tried to kill me."

Billy nodded. "We know, he told us. We've spent the last week trying to convict him and pin your death to him. It's amazing you survived though. You look like you've been through the ringer."

Schemer self-consciously thought back to his unhealthy pallor, the dark circles under his eyes and the faded bruises on his face. "I know. It wasn't fun." He said simply.

Billy gave him a worried look. "Are you alright though? I mean, it's great that you're alive but you've been through something rough."

Schemer brushed his concern off. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. I heard from a... source that Paul's going to cause a train crash." He said hurriedly.

Billy's eyebrows flew up. "What, really? But how?" He asked worriedly.

"I don't know all the details but I do know he wants to frame you and Stacy somehow. Your personal engine was mentioned." Schemer relayed. "What are you and Stacy doing exactly today?"

"We were going to set up beside the train yard." Billy said thoughtfully. "It sounds like he wants to create another disaster!" Billy cursed aloud.

"What sort of crash though? I had also heard something about him wanting to take care of some people opposing him. And Paul's in complete control now? How did he manage to make that happen? That's about all I know." Schemer said.

"A collision. He has to be planning a collision. He's probably trying to take care of whomever else in the other train! Which will consist of townspeople and whomever he could get onboard. Which probably means Stacy, Schemee, and I." Billy exclaimed. "He's mental!"

"Oh yeah, that he is. I've come to stop him once and for all." Schemer said. "You in?"

Billy gave a small chuckle. "We've all been in since the beginning. You have Schemee to thank for that. He's completely loyal to you."

Schemer raised an eyebrow. "Schemee is behind all of this?" He asked.

"Well, errr, yeah." Billy admitted sheepishly.

Schemer closed his eyes slowly and breathed deeply. "I am going to have a stern word with that boy about personal safety once all this is over. Honestly, taking on a violent murderer..." He said while rubbing his forehead.

Billy gave a small smile. "I know it eats you up inside to think of him putting himself in danger like this, but he's doing because he cares so much. I think it's his way of coping."

"I know, and I'm glad I came back. This way I can stop him before it gets too dangerous." Schemer said worriedly.

"I'm glad you're back too. And everyone else will be too. Now, what should we do?" Billy asked.

"I'm going to go towards your engine, you're going to want to be as far from that one in case something goes wrong so that nothing can be pinned on you. Get Stacy and the others away from that area as well. I don't want anyone else seeing me yet and that way everyone can be safe. We just have to figure out what the other train is..." He trailed off.

"It has to be the ten o'clock express to Shining Time. Our train yard connects to the mainline and it's the one that will be carrying Mr. King. He'll probably be a target, and he's coming on it to help us protest with the townspeople that are behind us. The two sets of tracks intersect at one point just past the Station and if they timed it right and kept the express moving a minute longer, they could have a crash at just the right moment." Billy explained.

"So Paul will probably have his thugs manning the trains." Schemer said thoughtfully. "Okay, I'm going to the train yard to wait it out there. I'm going to try and stop it before anything happens."

"Leave the express to me. I'll think of someway to stop it. There's a point where the train has to slow down to make it around a curve before Shining Time. Even if their aim is to crash it, they're not going to want to crash it prematurely. I can find a way to get on board and slow it down and stop it. It's also too late to stop the ten o'clock express at this point. It's already on it's way and there's going to be Paul's guys on board already. I've got that train covered." Billy said.

Schemer nodded with a smile. "Okay, let's go save the day once and for all from this maniac!"

"Be careful Schemer, and good luck." Billy said, reciprocating the smile. He held out his hand and Schemer gratefully shook it, happy that he had his old friend beside him, and over the moon that he wasn't actually dead.

* * *

Schemee walked into Shining Time Station that morning. He had the paper in his pocket and was going to plant it in Paul's office. There was no way the cops would accept a note handed by him as there was no way to prove it was real. He had to plant it and let the cops find it. If he could get another investigation on Paul that is. He used his copy of the key to Paul's office to let himself in, first looking around to check if the coast was clear. The Station was dead because everyone was either at the strike or setting up for Paul's ceremony. The railroad was going to throw a ceremony for Paul becoming the new Head of the Indian Valley Railroad today, and the strikers and protesters had decided to have their demonstration today in response. The hall at Shining Time had already been pre-booked so his announcement of ownership was still taking place in town.

Paul himself had been spotted over at the hall by Dan and Becky and Schemee had rushed over to the station to plant the evidence while he still had time. He let himself into the office and put the letter in the cigar box, which no longer held the tie. He replaced it on the shelf and turned around quickly. Right into another person.

He rebounded onto the floor and looked up just in time to see Paul's outstretched hand grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off the ground.

"So," He said dangerously. "What do we have here?" He grinned evilly and pulled Schemee closer, who began to struggle.

"Hey boys, change of plan!" Paul called out and dragged Schemee by the collar out into the Station. Schemee continued to struggle in his grasp and saw that two large thugs were waiting for Paul.

"What's up boss?" The smaller of the two asked.

"We've got a delinquent here who thinks he was going to break into my office. To try and get me in trouble again, no doubt." He said and roughly shoved Schemee to the floor in front of him.

"What were you doing in my office, boy?" He hissed.

"You're a disgusting murderer!" Schemee spat back. He hissed in pain as Paul's boot connected with his calf and shin.

"Murderer?" Paul pretended to look thoughtful. "Oh that's right, you're pathetic Uncle. Yeah, I guess I am a murderer. What were you trying to do? See that I could finally be punished for what I did?" He made to kick Schemee once more but he swiftly dodged his foot.

"Grab him boys." Paul said simply. Two pairs of strong arms latched on Schemee's shoulders, preventing him from moving.

"He's going to take a little ride with you boys in Twofeathers' ride. Tie him up in the passenger car that we attached to the back. You ride in the front and he rides in the back." Paul explained.

"But boss... He's just a kid..." The other began to say but Paul angrily cut him off.

"A kid that could put all three of us in jail for life!" He howled. "But fine, if you're so worried about him I can make sure he at least gets a painless death." Paul produced a rag from his pocket and poured a liquid on it.

"Chloroform. He'll be knocked out." Paul said rolling his eyes. "Wimps."

He pressed the rag to Schemee's face who tried to move his mouth and nose away, holding his breath. Paul gave a growl and punched him in the stomach, forcing him to release his breath and subsequently intake.

As he felt his eyes get heavy Paul leaned forward. "You're going to die just like your coward Uncle. He begged us to spare his life, pathetic." He said maliciously.

"Liar." Schemee hissed just before he lost consciousness.

Paul grunted angrily. "Tie him up in the passenger car. You don't have much time if you want to do this right." Don't you dare fail me.

Schemer had hidden inside the passenger car attached to Billy's engine when he saw the thugs coming up. He noticed they had a third person with them that they seemed to be holding up. He couldn't make out who it was and inwardly cursed himself for not getting to the engine in time to sabotage it. He heard the door to the car open and he folded himself between a set of seats, out of sight. He could hear their conversation as they entered.

"It just doesn't seem right, you know?" One asked.

"Our job isn't exactly right, idiot. He's paying us to kill people for him. Are you going soft?"

"No, but he's just so young."

"Just tie him up, I'm going ahead to start up the engine. Paul's going to signal us from the station any minute now."

Schemer waited until they both exited the car before getting out of his hiding place. He stood up and could see someone tied to one of the frontmost seats, their head lolling on their chest. With a frown he walked forward, and with each step he took his frown changed into a worried expression. Familiarity sunk in when he reached the seat.

Schemee was completely unconscious and was restrained to the chair. "Hey, Schemee! Wake up!" He pleaded, worry etched all over his face. He gently pushed Schemee's shoulder and brushed his hair out of his face.

He quickly lifted his chin and checked for a pulse. Fortunately he could feel one and he could also tell that he was still breathing on his own. He let out a sigh of relief. His relief quickly vanished and was replaced by anger. That monster was going to kill his nephew! He nearly howled in rage at the thought but held back. He had a job to do and he was going to darn well do it. It was bad enough that Paul had tried to kill him, but now it was completely personal. No one was going to try and kill his adopted son and get away with it. He stood up but quickly lost his balance.

The train had started to move.


	12. Chapter 12

Understanding and Promises: Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Authoresses Note: Here's the latest! I really hope you all enjoyed it because it took a long time to write. The next should be out shortly now that my midterms are (finally!) done. In the meantime though I'd really appreciate if you left me a review. The story is almost done and I want to know what you think of it as we get into the action and whatnot. Plus it's kind of discouraging when I put out three chapters in one weekend and only one person reviews. Though I'm not ungrateful, not at all. I really do appreciate that you've taken the time to read it and review when you can. I do hope this chapter is enjoyable though. It was a lot of fun to write. I stayed up until 3:30 am writing it because I was having too much fun to sleep :)

**Revised on May 4, 2013.**

* * *

Schemer stumbled but regained his balance quickly. He had to move fast, very fast. He rushed towards the front of the car and placed one hand on the door. Heart racing, he paused for a brief moment. The plan that had occurred to him back when Mr. Conductor had convinced him return was about to be put into action. He wasn't sure at the time when he'd have to use it but now seemed like it was the appropriate time. It was imperative that he be unseen for it to work, word couldn't have gotten around to his enemies that he was actually alive. Those thugs weren't the brightest in the bunch, if the guy they had 'killed' recently were suddenly around and walking, he'd be sure to have a great advantage over them. He could stop Paul's plan not at the source, but at the execution.

With a rush of courage, he threw open the door.

"Stop this train!" He said in a powerful voice.

The effect wasn't instantaneous, and for a second Schemer was afraid they had figured him out, but within a moment they began to react. The larger of the two flung himself at his comrade fearfully while the other just gapped in open mouth horror. He eventually lost balance due to a combination of his partner's weight and the movement of the train and the two went crashing to the floor in a tangled heap. Schemer rolled his eyes and leapt at the controls. 'Emergency Brake' was written in bold, red letters above a lever and Schemer quickly squeezed and pulled it with all his might. The train's wheels screeched in protest of the quickly applied brakes but slowed down to an eventual stop. He quickly hit the 'Emergency Shutdown' button as the train began to slow. He breathed a deep sigh of relief but he didn't pause to celebrate.

Whipping around, he rounded on the two thugs. They shrunk away from him and began to scoot away in fear.

"No... Please! Don't come any closer!" One begged.

"We're sorry we killed you! Please don't hurt us!" The other pleaded.

"QUIET!" Schemer shouted, anger filling up his glare. "How dare you... How dare you hijack a train with MY nephew onboard with the intention of crashing it into ANOTHER train with many more innocent people onboard and TRY TO APOLOGIZE FOR IT!"

"We didn't want to kill him, we swear! You gotta believe us! Paul would have us put in jail for sure for doing this, we had no choice!" One was near tears.

"Save it!" Schemer snarled. "You're paid killers, you would trade the lives of many people for money! Besides, you were never going to get paid for this anyways. Paul wanted you and the thugs driving the other train to die with everyone else. He wanted you to be the ones to crash it. How could you all be so stupid? He was never going to pay you because he knew you'd be killed as well!"

There was silence for a moment. Then realization dawned. They gapped in shock and looked at each other with fearful expressions.

Schemer shook his head in disgust and walked back into the car coupled to the back. He walked over to the still unconscious Schemee and undid his restraints. He picked him up by placing one arm under his knees and the other under his arms. The way his head lolled backwards made Schemer worry, he brought him to the front of the car.

"You! What did you give him?" He spat at the nearest one.

"Um... I'm not sure what it was called again... I think it was ch-chloro something..." He stuttered nervously.

"Chloroform?" Schemer snapped irritably.

"Yeah, that's it... Paul put it on a cloth and made him breath it in..."

He'd regain consciousness without any side-effects then. With one final disdainful look around the car, Schemer began to climb down with his nephew in his arms.

"Wait! What should we do now?" The largest asked, Schemer looked up as his feet touched the ground.

"Frankly, I don't care what you do. But let me tell you, if you ever come near my nephew, my friends or my town ever again, you will deeply regret it." He called up with a hard expression on his face. Without a second glance he began to walk back to the station.

The larger thug watched him walk away and turned back to his partner. The smaller spoke up after a long pause. "I sure wish my father cared about me like that..." He said sadly.

The larger nodded and gave a deep sigh. "Hey, ya know what? I think it's time we did the right thing for once." He suggested.

The smaller sighed. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

* * *

Billy had managed to get onboard while the train was moving. Like he had said, it was slow enough that he could grab ahold of a ladder and climb up into one of the middle cars. Mr. King just so happened to be in that car and watched on horrified as one of his former employees climbed his way into the train.

"Mr. Twofeathers!" He exclaimed as Billy walked into the car with a panicked look on his face.

"No time J.B., I've got to stop his train." He said hurriedly and began to run towards the front most car. Mr. King strode quickly to keep up.

"Mr. Twofeathers that is strictly for employees only and you are NOT an employee! Besides, how dare you gain access to a moving train without paying!" He shouted as he tried to match his pace. Despite being replaced as the Head of the Railroad, he was still staunchly loyal to the railway and it's rules.

"Trust me, you'll thank me later! Shoot... It's picking up speed!" He said fearfully and began to sprint against the acceleration.

"What is that engineer doing?" Mr. King asked as they reached the door to the front.

"Those aren't engineers Mr. King. Those are thugs hired by Paul. They're going to kill you and everyone else onboard by crashing this train into my own engine." He said grimly and tried to open the door.

"Drat! Locked!" He growled.

"Kill me? Why would Paul kill me?" Mr. King asked in a strangled voice. "He's already removed me from my position!"

"Why wouldn't he? He's a madman, and has no concern for human life. He probably doesn't trust you to stay down and out, despite him replacing you." Billy answered while taking a fire extinguisher down from it's mount.

Mr. King gapped in horror. "But then... He really did kill Schemer?"

"Yes, well... Yes." He said simply. Now was not the time to explain. He brought the extinguisher down on the doorknob. It flew off and hit the wall with a 'thunk'.

"Stand back." He cautioned before aiming a powerful kick at the door. He entered and the two thugs whirled around in shock. The two real engineers were tied up in a corner with gags in their mouthes. They looked up hopefully as Billy entered.

"You're one of the strikers!" One exclaimed.

"Stop this train right now! You're going to kill dozens of innocent people!" He said angrily before moving forward.

One blocked his path and the other continued to drive. "What's it to you? We're getting paid big bucks for this job!" He sneered.

Billy made a move to whip past his right side but the thug quickly caught him. They tussled on the floor, each trying to overpower the other. Mr. King dashed in and began to untie the other engineers.

The radio buzzed and everybody froze. _"Hello? Is this the other train that's going to crash?" _The voice asked confusedly.

"Yeah, this is Twofeather's engine calling, right? What's up boys?" The one driving asked and the scene in the background commenced once more.

_"We're turning ourselves in. You best do the same. Paul's going to kill all of us, not just the people onboard the train. He never showed you how to escape before the crash, did he?"_

The driver paused for a moment and then swore loudly. "That bloody... Arg, he was going to kill us AND not pay us!" He quickly grabbed the brakes and the entire train lurched. Mr. King was knocked to his feet and in the other cars passengers struggled to keep their balance or in their seats while staff tried to keep everyone calm.

The train slowed to a stop and Billy could see his engine stationary in the distance near the junction. "Well done Schemer!" He thought cheerfully.

Before anybody could react, the thug that was driving jumped to his feet. "I ain't turning myself in!" He exclaimed angrily and hopped out of the train car.

"Wait!" His partner cried after him but he never gave a second glance. His partner tried to exit the car as well but Billy quickly tackled him while the other two engineers advanced with the ropes they had been bound with. They quickly tied him up and propped him up against the wall.

"They just sort of came in here and demanded that we let them take control. We tried to fight them off but they were too strong." One of the engineers tried to explain. Billy nodded understandingly.

"It's okay, everything's fine now. We'll call the police and let them know about the other guy. Hey, J.B., you alright?" He asked.

Mr. King stood back, looking quite stunned. "I'm sorry... I'm just shocked... He wanted to kill me and a number of others."

"He's crazy, and we're going to have to work fast to catch him. He'll know it didn't work and will want to get the heck out of here. We should get this train back to Shining Time. While we're taking care of that, why don't you go tend to the passengers?" Billy suggested.

Mr. King nodded and began to walk out of the engine. "Oh and Mr. Twofeathers?" He called.

Billy turned towards him questioningly.

Mr. King sighed heavily. "I'm sorry that I didn't believe you or Ms. Jones at first. And that I essentially gave Paul the tools to get this far. I feel like... This mess is all my fault. If you're willing, and I'll be sure to talk to Ms. Jones as well, would you please return to Shining Time Station? Once this mess is sorted out, and I've been reinstated, and I WILL be reinstated, I'll be offering both of you your jobs back as my first order of business." He offered cautiously.

Billy smiled. "Sure Mr. King, and don't worry about it. Everything is going to be just fine."

* * *

Schemer walked back to Shining Time from the engine with Schemee in his arms. He still was still out cold but Schemer could feel his heartbeat and see that he was breathing so his mind was relatively at ease. The Station was empty and there were no stragglers around the building. He assumed that most people were at the scene of the commotion and figured that Billy's office would be the best place to put Schemee for the time being. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going to go from there though. If Paul or any of the other thugs saw him, he was as good as dead. Again. He opened the door to Billy's office, using his hip to swing the door. He laid Schemee out on the bench and smoothed his hair from his face.

"It's going to be alright now son." He promised. "I'm not leaving again." He saw Schemee's eyes flutter briefly at the sound of his voice but he still didn't regain consciousness. Schemer's forehead creased with worry but he was brought out of his thoughts by the sudden dizzy spell that caught him off guard. The room spun dangerously and he lost his balance. He let himself slide to the floor to avoid ay injury. Breathing heavily he slowly felt his vision return to normal. He refrained from moving even after his vision returned. He suddenly felt weakened. He hadn't slept in over thirty six hours and it was catching up to him, his fever and illness still hadn't fully dissolved. Not only that but his injuries were really beginning to cause him pain. He was able to ignore the discomfort before but everything was beginning to set in.

He looked up sharply at the crash of the front door bouncing off the wall. Schemer crept to the office door, closing it so it was open just a fraction and watched. Paul was in a panic, Schemer could see that his normally cold and business like persona had been replaced with a flustered and wild eyed man. He went to his office door but patted down his pockets and couldn't find a key. With a groan he put his back to the door and let himself slide to the floor.

"It's over. My plan is ruined." He moaned. Schemer felt disgust at the fact that this man was upset that a train full of people hadn't been killed. He could hear the express pulling into the Station as Paul rushed into his office, grabbing any cash he had lying around and stuffing it into his pocket. "I have to get out of here!"

"Hold it right there Paul!" An angry female voice called from the entrance. Paul whipped his head to the room's newest occupant like a predator catching the sight of prey. Schemer's eyes went wide as he took in the view.

"Well, Ms. Jones, I suppose you think you've won?" Paul asked coldly and emotionlessly.

She walked closer and Schemer got a better view of her. She had never been more beautiful to him than at that moment. She was wearing one of her work outfits, the white blouse with red form fitting pants, and her hair was a mess of dark curls that framed her face. Her faee itself was flushed in anger as she stood and stared Paul down. But at the same time, while Schemer's heart came alive at the sight of her, he had never felt more afraid for her. This man was dangerous and insane. And he had just lost everything.

"It's over Paul. The police will soon know that you planned this whole 'accident', Billy told me what you were planning, and we were ready for you. They're going to arrest you. You will never be able to harass, threaten or harm anybody ever again. Everyone knows that you killed Schemer now too. You killed my best friend, the man I loved, and you're finally going to pay for it." She said angrily.

A dark look spread across his features. "And I suppose you're going to hold me until the police get here?" He asked. Without giving her a chance to respond he launched forward at her. She reached for her ever faithful bat from behind her desk and swung it at his attacking form. He was slightly too fast for her and grabbed the end of the bat as it was coming down at him. He ripped it from her grasp and threw it over his shoulder. Grasping both of her wrists in one hand he wrenched her forward.

He held her close while she tried to struggle. "Shhh, let's see what your friends have to say." He said with a devilish smirk. "Looks like I can still get away, and you're going to help me."

Billy's voice could be heard from outside. "Everyone please remain onboard, Mr. King keep everyone there for safety. The police will be coming soon."

"Wrong move Billy." He said softly, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Stacy's head just as Billy was walking in. She became limp with fear. Schemer couldn't move or say anything if he wanted to. Even the slightest sound might spook Paul.

Billy froze at the sight as he walked in. "Don't make a single move." Paul hissed. Billy obeyed and watched fearfully.

Paul began to move towards the front of the Station. "Come with me Twofeathers. You're going to get onboard that train with the passengers. The girl comes up to the front with me. If you want a chance at any of those lives onboard, you're going to do exactly as I say."

Billy nodded, not budging.

"Keep everyone in their seats, no one is to come anywhere near the engine if you ever want to see Stacy here alive ever again. Do you understand me?" He drawled, insanity creeping into his voice.

"Yes." Billy said, his voice a combination of fear and anger. From her position, even though she was terrified and afraid for her's and everyone else's lives, Stacy gave Billy nod and her determination shone through in her gaze.

"Good. Now go!" Paul hissed. As Billy turned away, regret in his eyes, Paul turned to Stacy. "You're going to ride with me up front. You're my collateral now, a hostage if you will. Try anything funny and you're not only signing away your life but everyone else's. Got it?" He spat harshly.

She tried to cancel the waiver in her voice. "Yes."

"Excellent. Now let's go!" He began to forcefully walk her with him.

As they exited the Station, Schemer watched with a heart that was beating uncontrollably.

"No! No!" He cried out, but his voice was hoarse and weak. He pounded the floor uselessly, trying to will his body to get up. Pulling himself to his knees, shaking he tried to pull himself up. A sudden train whistle caught his ears. For a heart wrenching moment he thought the train was leaving, but a familiar shower of gold dust proved him wrong.

"Mr. Conductor!" He rasped. "You've got to help me!"

"I can give you something to rejuvenate you, I know you've been working hard to save everyone. But at the same time it's risky for me to do to you, you're quite weak right now and this is only a temporary boost. Your body will crash when it wears off and to a degree that I cannot predict. You're not that well." He warned.

"I don't care! Just please do whatever it takes! I need to get on that train!" He pleaded.

"As you wish." He retrieved some gold dust from a pouch from his waist and tossed it towards Schemer. He promptly felt it's effects take place and his strength returned. He got to his feet and looked back towards his nephew.

"If I don't make it back again, no, I will make it back again! But I want you to know that I'm very proud of you, and everything will be okay. I'll see you in a few hours. You're the best son that anyone could have ever hoped for." He said sincerely. Schemee's eyelids fluttered once more and stayed open, but unfocused, for a brief second before closing once more.

Schemer turned back to Mr. Conductor. "I'm headed towards the back of the train. I've got an idea, and it's the only way I can remain inconspicuous."

"I'll be at the front, making sure Stacy's alright." Mr. Conductor said.

"Okay, then let's go!" Schemer said before rushing towards the platform. Mr. Conductor disappeared in a shower of gold dust, leaving the Station unoccupied except for one unconscious teenager.


	13. Chapter 13

Understanding and Promises - Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Authoresses Note: Oh my goodness, I am so sorry I took so long in updating this. I hope this chapter is a good enough apology, it's a little long but I think you all deserve it. Just so you all know, there's only two chapters left. Thanks for sticking it out for this long guys, we're in the final stretch!

**Revised on May 4, 2013.**

* * *

The passengers sat, terrified in their seats, as the train started once again after it's first wild ride. The thug that had been left tied in the engine of the train previously was now free courtesy of Paul, and grinning wickedly at all of them. He insisted Billy sit near the front where he could keep an eye on him, he had a special animosity with him. No one could tell if he was armed or not and no one wanted to push him and find out. Besides, his size and pure power made him threatening enough without needing a weapon. No one knew where the train was heading, it was slowly picking up speed, and they could only hope that they'd arrive safely once more. But Billy was already onboard, who else was left to swoop in and save the day?

Billy was desperately hoping that Schemer had gotten away unscathed. Not just because he was their only hope to call for help, Billy genuinely wanted him to avoid getting into trouble again. He could only narrowly escape the clutches of death so many times. He was also worried dearly about Stacy. His other best friend was in more danger than anyone in the passenger cars and there was nothing he could do to save her.

Finally someone spoke for the first time since the second ride had started. "I can't take it anymore!" Wailed Midge Smooch. Ginny sat beside her, trying to both keep her quiet and comfort her.

Ginny and Midge, plus a few other townspeople like Barton Winslow and Felix Perez, had been at the protest in support of Billy and Stacy earlier that day. When the train arrived after it's original hijacking, they had all gone onboard to help the terrified passengers. However, before they, or anyone else, could exit the train, Billy was forced onboard and the thug that was originally in the carriage with them was untied and loose yet again. And then the train started it's second journey. The original passengers were now horrified and terror-struck, while the newcomers were distraught about this turn of events.

"Where are we going? Why won't anybody tell me what's going on?" She cried out.

The thug strode over to her with a grunt of annoyance. "Listen Lady, you gotta sit down. I don't want you to give me any trouble, so you better sit there quietly. You got that?"

"If we knew where we were going, maybe we wouldn't be so upset!" Ginny angrily spoke up, her finger jabbing him in the chest. A few other passengers spoke out in agreement.

The thug's brow furrowed angrily. He snatched Ginny's hand and gripped it tightly. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He growled.

In response, he received a handbag across his face. With an angry grunt, he snatched the bag and threw it roughly across the car. "Now you're in trouble. You two, come with me. You're going to be locked in the caboose since you can't behave yourselves." He grabbed both of them by the shoulders and yanked them to their feet.

Billy angrily got up from where he was sitting. "Don't you even think of hurting them!" He snarled at the thug. He strode forward but the thug quickly placed himself in front of the two women. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out an old fashioned revolver. Billy froze.

"You better not move an inch, Twofeathers. These two are going to the caboose and if anybody is out of their seats when I get back, they're going to be tasting lead. You all got that?"

Nobody stirred. He placed the gun back in his jacket. "Good, now move it you two!"

* * *

Making onto the train had been easy, figuring out what the heck to do was the hard part. After climbing into the back of the caboose, Schemer was desperately trying to think up a plan. He paced back and forth but nothing was coming to him. Suddenly, the sound of a harsh male voice was coming closer to the caboose. Eyes wide, he dove into a nearby supply closet. The caboose held a few bags but the closet with cleaning supplies was the only thing large enough to hide him. He held the closet door open a crack so that he could still listen to the commotion. The voice came close and closer until the caboose door crashed open.

"-And you're both going to stay in here because you can't behave yourselves!" The voice snarled.

Schemer closed the crack in the door as far as he could without shutting it to avoid being seen. Fortunately the door crashed shut only a moment later and he was left alone with whoever had been locked in the caboose. This complicated things, how was he supposed to get by whomever was with him? What's more is that they were definitely locked in, together, whomever they we-

"What are we going to do now Ginny?"

...Seriously? This was happening? He risked opening the door a fraction of a crack to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Ginny was sitting on a trunk, facing in his direction, and Midge was standing, angled away from him. Ginny just shook her head in a distraught way.

"That poor boy never even got a proper funeral and we may never be able to give him one after this. That Paul is going to get rid of all of us." Ginny said forlornly. Schemer raised his head slightly in disbelief, she was referring to him!

Midge looked shocked. "Ginny! Please don't talk like that! We're all going to get out of here, I promise."

Ginny just shook her head in grief and hopelessness. "No Midge, can't you see? It's over. For me, for you, for everybody. Everyone on this train knows it. We thought we could do something. We all thought we could at least help Schemer to be at rest by finding Paul guilty. Now we can't even help ourselves. A train full of people is being driven by a madman to who knows where. The situation is hopeless." She said dejectedly.

"The situation is never hopeless, Ginny. It's never been hopeless, not ever. In all the things we've ever done or faced, we've always come through because we faced it as a community. Our little town seems to shine the brightest in the whole Indian Valley, and you know why? Because we know what it's like to be a family."

Stepping from the shadows like a ghost coming back to life, Schemer emerged from his spot. The two stood, too shocked to move. Schemer moved forward smoothly and helped Ginny to her feet. "And because we're a community, we're going to get out of this." He said with a smile.

Without another word, Ginny had thrown her arms around his neck in a tight hug. The embrace held a fierce maternal aspect and he hugged her tightly back. When they finally let go, she wiped her eyes discreetly on the back of her hand.

"Schemer, where in the blazes have you been?" She asked demanded with mock anger.

He smiled. "You don't want to know." He said with the shake of his head. "But don't you worry about any of that. I'm back, and for good. We're getting out of this mess once and for all!" He said determinedly. "Hey, howya doing Midge?" He drawled.

She was not as affectionate as Ginny had been. In absence of her own handbag, she grabbed one sitting atop a nearby pile of luggage and walloped him upside the head.

"Ow, Midge! Cut it out!" He whined.

"Shut it, Schemer!" She shouted. "*Whap* Do you have *Whap* any idea *Whap* what everyone has been going through with you gone?"

He had cowered to the floor and was covering his head with his hands. "Will you stop it!" He cried in a childlike manner.

"NO! You just stroll in here like you've been on vacation! We all thought you were dead! Murdered by a madman!" She continued to shout. Ginny, who had been standing in shock at her friend's outburst, managed to snap out of it and wrestle the bag from Midge's hands.

"Midge, stop that this instance! He's obviously been through something awful! Look, at him, he's got bruises all over his face and neck!" Ginny said sternly as she helped Schemer to his feet.

Midge softened just a little bit. "Alright, fine. But where have you been? What happened and why couldn't you just come back and put everyone at ease?" She asked.

Schemer sighed. "It's a long story Midge, really it is. I'll be glad to tell it and to explain everything later. But right now I do have a lot of work to do, this train has to be stopped and so does Paul." He said gently.

She averted her eyes. "I'm sorry, and I have no idea what's happened to you though I'm sure it's been hard. It's just... You haven't been here... You haven't been able to see what everyone's been going through and how much you meant, sorry, mean to everyone." She said softly.

He nodded uncomfortably and shuffled his feet, "I suppose... Though I don't mean to sound ungrateful but I just wonder if people only pretended to like me or care about me after I 'died'."

"Now you look here Schemer," Ginny said sternly, "I don't want you thinking that no one here likes you! Everyone likes you, even if you do pull the occasional stunt or get into some funny business. You're a fixture in this town and there's nothing you could do to change that!"

He smiled and looked slightly more like his former self. "Please Ginny, tell me more." He asked slyly.

It earned him a swat on the arm. "Maybe later, after you save the train. Speaking of which, what's the plan Schemer?"

He bit his lower lip in thought. "We don't have much time, I have a feeling that Paul isn't just a madman driving us to nowhere. He's probably got some plan, he always has a plan. He's definitely lost his mind and probably his conscience but I'd bet he's still plotting something. We need to take control of the passenger cars, get Billy to the emergency controls. If we can get rid of the guards and uncouple the cars from the engine somehow then I think we'll be okay. I'm more concerned about getting everyone here to safety. If Paul manages to get away in his engine than that's okay, as long as everyone is safe. He'll be caught later, when he doesn't have a train full of passengers held hostage." He explained.

Midge frowned. "There's the guard though. He has a gun!"

"I already scared the heck out of one guard. Maybe I could try it again?" Schemer suggested.

"There is NO way we're letting you face down an armed person!" Ginny said fiercely.

Schemer smirked. "But, you can't kill someone that's already dead."

Midge shook her head. "Schemer, I hate to tell you this but even though you look horrible enough to be a ghost, you're still very much able to die."

"I know, but I don't see anything less risky. The fewer people involved, the better." He eyed a stack of boxes piled in the corner. They contained supplies for the snack car. "Quick! Douse me with a couple of water bottles. Am I pale enough on my own or should I find some make up or something?"

They looked at each other worriedly but grabbed a water bottle each.

"You're pale enough on your own. I don't like this idea, you look too fragile." Ginny said sadly.

"Don't worry about it. Just get my head and face wet and I'll be good to go." Again, they obeyed reluctantly. "There's no other way, I promise you I'll be careful.

Now, here's what we're going to do."

They leaned in close as he described his plan.

* * *

Stacy Jones always prided herself for being strong willed, stubborn even. She never let anyone walk all over her and didn't ever consider herself vulnerable. She never wanted to be the damsel in distress, that wasn't for her. But as she watched Paul drive the train like a madman she couldn't help but feel like she was doomed. She wasn't physically bound in any way, but she knew any attempt at an escape would lead to nothing but trouble. For starter's, it's not like she had anywhere to go, even if she did try. And secondly, she didn't want to put anybody else at further risk for being reckless.

Paul fervently drove the train, he had long ago exceeded the safe speed for a passenger train and was recklessly barreling down the tracks. He looked like a rabid dog, cornered and ready to fight his way out. Desperation had truly become madness.

"Paul, please!" She pleaded. "You need to stop this train. There are innocent people onboard, just stop the train now and it won't be as bad for you."

He didn't answer, he was still urging the train onwards.

"Please, just stop!" Tears were streaming down her face. Yet again Paul ignored her.

"Why are you doing this?" She cried out.

He angrily whipped around to face her. "Why?" He spat. "You ask why I'm doing this?"

She recoiled back in fear at his outburst.

"I always thought you were smart Ms. Jones and yet you have no idea why I did what I did! I'm guessing you know why we're here right now, because my original plan to destroy two trains plus their passengers failed." He said angrily.

"I know that!" She said with disgust. "I want to know why you did all this to begin with!"

"I highly doubt you'll believe me Ms. Jones, but I did it because of you." He said coolly.

The engine's occupants fell completely silent. Stacy was blown away and too stunned to do say anything. For what felt like a century she just stared at him, completely bewildered. Finally she found the ability to use her vocal cords again. "But how?" Was all she could manage.

"I moved quickly through the ranks in the Indian Valley Railroad, things looked promising and I was sure to become Mr. King's partner. But I knew he was hesitant to take me on. I had been ruthless in my attempts to get to the top and wasn't exactly highly thought of amongst the employees. They knew how ambitious I was." He explained.

She nodded, frowning at where this story was going.

"And then one day, I hear about this station mistress. Well known and loved across the Indian Valley, had a heart of gold apparently. And then I get to thinking. How can I be so well liked? What could I do to be like this station mistress? So I talked to you at that one staff party, the one before last. I tried to be more like you, but people saw right through. I still wasn't gaining the respect I needed. So then I thought, if being like this station mistress doesn't work... What if I could be with this station mistress?" He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You were going to use me to make you more popular?" She whispered.

He scowled. "That was the original plan. Until of course I found out you were with_ him_. You rebuffed my attempts at the party and then I continuously ran into you with that loser. But I guess it doesn't matter, I became the sole owner of the Indian Valley Railroad on my own. So really I didn't need you in the end. But than again, here we are. My final plan clearly hasn't worked so it looks like I'll be needing you again after all."

"He was wonderful! Don't you dare even try to compare yourself to him!" She said fiercely, not caring about his other comments.

"He wasn't fit to cleaned the floor I walked on!" Paul snarled. "Honestly, how could someone like him date someone like you? You're gorgeous, smart and hard working! He was arrogant, lazy and self-centered. Do you think he truly cared about you? He left you!" He shouted, taking his anger out on her because his plan had fallen apart so quickly.

"He left the station for me! He knew how much it meant to me, he thought I cared more about the station than him. He was wrong, so, so wrong! But he still did it for me. And then there's you. You tried to use me to advance yourself. You act like this whole elaborate plan is something I should be impressed by. But I'm not, I'm sickened and heart broken and I'd rather eat dirt than be with the likes of you or help you accomplish anything!" She shouted angrily, tears pouring down her face.

His jaw was clenched and there was a tick in his cheek. "You better watch your tongue Jones. You're going to help me whether you like it or not. Unless you want to see the rest of the train be uncoupled at a very inopportune moment, you will help me. I'm getting away, and you'll be with me every step of the way... As my hostage."

* * *

Slipping through the top of the train was easy. There were enough items to stack so that Schemer could climb out of the roof. Staying on the roof of the caboose of a speeding train was the difficult part. As much as he'd claim to purposely take daily tumbles in the station, he simply couldn't deny that he wasn't the most nimble person, especially when he was clinging on for dear life to the top of the train. The wind whipped his hair back from his face and he felt frozen in place. He could only slightly hear the conversation below but he clung on to his perch and waited for his cues. The hatch on the roof was kept just open enough that Schemer could hear everything without the guard noticing.

Midge and Ginny began to wail, he hoped it was loud enough to get the guard's attention. He also dearly hoped they would be okay. They refused to let him do this by himself. His heart froze as he heard the distinct stomping of heavy footfall followed by the sound of the door crashing open.

"What is it now?" An aggressive, masculine voice asked harshly.

"Please, we're so afraid! Just let us go back with our friends!" Midge cried sadly.

"You're going to stay in here until I say so!" He barked.

Schemer pricked his ears, it would be any moment now.

"Oh, who will ever save us?" Ginny cried.

There it was. He willed himself to inch along on his belly. Praying that he didn't slip, he made it to the edge of the roof. He slowly lowered himself down to the platform that connected the caboose with the second last car. Without being seen, he moved into the second to last car and slammed the door.

He could still hear the conversation which was good. He moved to the side so that he wouldn't be seen immediately.

"What was that?" The guard barked from the other car.

"I don't know!" Midge whimpered.

He heard a growl and the door to his car was opened so forcefully that it left a crack in the wall where it hit. The guard began to storm forward with his gun drawn, completely missing Schemer's presence.

"Looking for someone?" He asked darkly.

The guard jumped back as he took in his appearance. Schemer had to admit, he probably looked somewhat frightening. Especially when the last time this man saw him he had been dumped in a lake. His dark hair was wet and hung limply over his pale face. The bruises were still apparent and contrasted sharply with his skin. It would've been a better effect if he had been wearing the same suit from that day but judging by the look on the guard's face, it was good enough. His gun hand shook and his eyes were wide with terror.

"You…. It can't be…" He trembled.

"Let them go!" Schemer snarled back.

He froze and Schemer felt victorious for a minute. It looked like he was about to back down when all of the sudden the gun was pointing at Schemer's chest. That really wasn't what he expected.

"I don't know…. how you're here. But I'm going to send you back where you belong, demon."

The shots rang out in rapid fire, and he distinctly heard a scream come from someone. His ears were ringing and he was on the floor, barely aware what had happened. The only sound he was currently registering was the click of the empty gun. He turned his gaze to where he had been standing just a few seconds previous and saw that the gunshots had cleanly punctured holes in the side of the train.

It only took a minute more to realize he was unscathed. He got up unsteadily, Midge and Ginny were looking on in shock, and his would be attacker dropped the now empty gun in fright. For someone who could barely go a day without falling in his arcade, he had somehow reflexively jumped and rolled out of the way of the bullets.

The guard tried to run forward, towards the front of the train, and Schemer was about to give chase. However, the opposite door crashed open, and Billy strode through the door. The sound of gunshots had drawn him to the car, and within seconds he had the guard pinned on the floor.

Schemer smiled as the guard yelled on about ghosts. Billy looked up at him with something of an incredulous expression.

"How do you manage?" He asked with the most confused expression on his face.

"I have nine lives." He replied dryly. "Can we get him bound? When Paul's not looking we're going to uncouple the passenger cars and have you control the emergency break."

A few more passengers stumbled in, they looked on as Billy used some seat belts to fashion a binding and did a double take at the figure in the middle of the room.

"I don't believe it!"

"What's going on?"

"Schemer! You're alive!"

A chorus of shocked voices met his ears, some people just looked on with frightened or dumbfounded expressions. He wasn't one to deny people his presence but he held his hands up.

"Look, I'm very glad to see you all, but we've seriously got to move. Please, no one ask any questions until we're all safe." He said seriously.

Billy walked up to where he stood. "We'll need a few of you to watch him here. He's unarmed but I don't want him getting loose again."

The two started briskly walking towards the front of the train. "Schemer, this may be our only chance to save everyone on the train. But there's a problem..." He said gravely.

"Yes?" Schemer asked, noticing that there was something up.

"Stacy's up front with Paul." Billy said hoarsely.

Schemer's heart dropped. He had completely forgotten that Stacy had been dragged onboard by Paul.

"Schemer… She would want us to save the train first. We need to work fast if we want a chance of saving everyone." He explained gravely.

"If Paul sees what we've done then there's no telling what he'll do to her." Schemer said urgently.

"Schemer, I think we should-" Billy began but Schemer cut him off.

"I'm not leaving without her." He stressed.

"We have to get these people to safety!" Billy retorted.

There was a pause, and Schemer nodded. "Okay, good, then I'll leave you in charge here. Good luck Billy." He said while clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Schemer, what are you doing?" He asked worriedly as Schemer began pushing the window open."

"I said I'm not leaving without her!" Schemer half-shouted against the rushing sound of the wind.

"Where are you going?" Billy demanded as Schemer got half his body through the opening.

"You go free the cars when Paul's not looking. I'll see you later." He ordered. Before Billy could say anything else, he had disappeared onto the roof of the train.

Billy took a shocked step backwards but recovered as Midge stepped into the room.

"That boy is crazy." She said worriedly.

"He's…. He's going to be fine." Billy managed to say. "Come on, we've got to go save the passengers.


	14. Chapter 14

I'm so sorry to everyone for the ridiculously long wait on this one. I've had a massive case of writer's block which wasn't resolved until last night. This chapter was particularly hard to write because it had to do justice to my vision of this story. And I still wasn't sure how I wanted a few crucial scenes to go. Anyways, here's the second-to-last chapter. It's a long one but I hope you all enjoy it. The last one will hopefully be written and up soon.

**Revised on May 5, 2013. **

* * *

As the day continued to age, the train continued to speed along the tracks. They hadn't been on the go for a terribly long time but Paul was beginning to get anxious. He hadn't spotted any other trains but that didn't mean that they couldn't gain any attention. The railways were monitored, and it wouldn't be too long before someone spotted them. For all he knew, they already had. He left the radio off so he didn't know if anyone had tried contacting him. If anyone reported them as a possible runaway or stolen train, the police would be getting involved soon. He had a plan, but he needed to move fast.

The engine could move a lot faster without the extra weight it was pulling. Paul looked back to where the coupled cars were. It would have to be soon. At this point he was already facing armed assault, kidnapping, attempted murder.

Real murder.

What did a few more deaths matter?

Well... More than a few.

He needed to time this well, his plan was to get rid of the coupled cars, but it had to be at the right moment. He needed to get rid of as many witnesses as possible, and how fortunate for him that they were all in the same place. Not to mention at his complete mercy. He looked ahead. There was a large hill coming up. He'd wait until they were just clear of the top and then he'd release the coupling. They'd have no time to prepare themselves, not even his hired men would be expecting it. The cars would shoot down the hill and would surely derail before they reached the bottom. Even if there were some survivors, emergency teams would prioritize the wreckage to follow the crash that was about to occur opposed to going after him. Besides, he would be keeping Stacy with him as a bargaining chip. He needed her alive as his hostage in case he got into any sticky situations.

He turned to her. Despite being afraid, she still somehow managed to look brave and strong. He snarled inwardly. It was infuriating to exert so much power over someone when that person barely responded. He had no plans to kill her, instead he wanted to break her spirit. Until she responded to him, and only him, he wouldn't give up. And he knew how to do it.

He just had to wait until the right moment.

* * *

Back in the compartment, Billy and Mr. King were preparing to unhook the cars from the engine. Billy would do the unhooking and Mr. King would start operating the emergency brake. Standing near the control panel, they both looked outside the window to monitor their surroundings. They were currently approaching a steep hill.

"The second the leading car reaches the bottom of the hill, I'm releasing the cars." Billy explained. "I don't want to leave Stacy and Schemer but... We'll just have to trust that they'll be okay." He said hesitantly.

Mr. King nodded, looking solemn.

"Are we doing the right thing?" Mr. King asked Billy.

Billy didn't answer for a moment, but he eventually let out a sigh. "I sure hope so Mr. King. But if we can't trust a man who's already escaped death from the hands of that madman, than I don't know who we can."

Mr. King drew in a deep breath. "I guess you're right Billy. The hill is coming up, be prepared."

Billy approached the front of the car and looked through the small side window. "I just want to get Stacy's attention, but I need to make sure Paul doesn't see us."

* * *

Stacy sat as tall as she could as she watched Paul increase power to prepare for the climb. She wasn't going to show him any fear, she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Despite her bravery she just wanted to be back in the cars, for better or for worse, with all of her friends. Whatever was happening, she wanted to make sure they were all alright. She looked at the back of Paul's head with undisguised loathing. He was truly evil, she decided. There was nothing that he wouldn't do. With an inaudible sigh, she leaned back a bit. A soft tap on her elbow made her look down. What she saw nearly made her cry out in shock.

Mr. Conductor stood on the ground beside her. No, not quite Mr. Conductor, but a Conductor nonetheless. He wore a very similar outfit but his face was different. He gave a small bow and put his finger to his lips. Stacy's heart swelled with hope, maybe they all had a chance. She nodded at his request for silence and watched as he pointed at the window facing the back of the engine and into the coupled cars. She looked carefully at Paul who was still busy with the controls, and only when she deemed it safe, did she look out the back window.

Billy's face stared back at her from the window in the lead car. Her heart nearly skipped a beat, her friends were safe! She wondered if there was some way that they could be reunited. Looking over her shoulder at Paul, who was still mercifully busy, she wondered if she could make a break for it.

No, there wouldn't be nearly enough time to get over and uncouple the cars. Speaking of uncoupling the cars...

Oh.

The hill was nearly upon them, once they started climbing they'd never be able to safely uncouple. And who knew what Paul had in store. She knew what they had to do, and she didn't blame them in the slightest. With a sad smile, she placed one hand on the window and used her other hand to point in front of her. Billy gave her a pained and apologetic look and gave the impression that he was hesitating to uncouple his cars from her engine. To reassure him, she mouthed the word 'Go' and wave softly. After a brief moment, he nodded and waved back. The engine just started to climb as the cars uncoupled from the engine. She turned around quickly and sat in front of the window. The Conductor she saw earlier was gone and she began to wonder whether or not she had imagined him.

Regardless, she turned around just in time for Paul to face her.

"Jones." He said monotonously. "I need you to do something for me."

"What would that be?" She snapped back.

"Calm that temper of yours. This train is moving much too slow, I think we need to remove some extra weight." He suggested lazily.

Her heart skipped a beat. Was he going to ask what she thought he was going to ask?

"And how would we do that?" She asked slowly.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe uncoupling the cars once we reach the top of the hill?" He suggested carelessly, as if he were talking about a restaurant choice instead of a attempted murder.

"That's insane!" She hissed. Despite knowing that her friends were safe, she needed to ensure she kept in character. But she was also very angry at the fact he would even suggest something like that in the first place.

"No, it's actually quite the safety feature for me. I need them gone." He said simply and turned back around to face the front.

Stacy blinked in shock. He hadn't noticed a thing. She stood carefully in front of the rear window, blocking it. "And what would happen to me?" She asked in a nervous voice.

He turned to face her with a predatory smile. "Jones, if you uncouple the cars for me, I will personally ensure no harm ever comes to you again. Dare I say, we'll be spending lots of time together from here on in."

She said nothing and he faced the controls once more. "I trust you won't let me down. Ah, here's the top of the hill now."

She moved quickly, and grabbed the lever to uncouple the cars. Without hesitation she pulled it and let the noise echo through the engine. Without the extra weight, the engine shot forward at the top of the hill and the bottom, which would have given away the sight of the completely stationary and safe train car, was quickly obscured. Paul turned to face her with a shocked expression on his face.

"I am surprised Jones, what happened to my innocent station mistress. hmmm?" He cupped her chin in his hand.

The tears were entirely real. Despite knowing her friends were safe, she knew she absolutely wasn't. "I don't know." She managed to crack out as tears silently poured down her face.

"Well done, you've been extremely helpful. Don't worry, we'll be at our destination soon enough." Her gave her chin a gentle squeeze and returned to the controls. She allowed herself to slide slowly down the wall to the floor.

* * *

Schemer had been clinging to the top of the engine for dear life. This was not a safe or comfortable way to travel and he just wanted the train to stop. His legs and hands were steadily losing feeling and he feared they would go numb entirely soon. He was happy the cars had been safely uncoupled but he still had to rescue Stacy. And deal with Paul. He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to do either.

He tried to shift his grip slightly in order to better hold on. Squinting ahead, his heart gave a leap and he nearly lost his newly regained position. They were quickly approaching a train yard. However, it looked old and abandoned, and completely uninhabited. This must be where Paul was planning on ditching the engine. It would at least give him a head start on an escape. It looked dangerous and the fact that there was likely no one else around made Schemer nervous. But he wouldn't give up, he had to save Stacy.

The train was slowing but it seemed to be headed towards a huge and rickety engine storage unit at the end of the rails. Paul knew where he was going. He knew this whole time. Schemer shivered, half from the fact he had been clinging to the top of a speeding train the whole time. The other half from the eerie sight that the train yard provided. Old and rusted out engines sat abandoned on the tracks, their paint long since peeled off leaving only corroded metal. Cars were scattered about, some knocked over and vandalized. Some so degraded they only left a pair of axels and wheels sitting on the tracks, with only the frame of the box left. The building they were approaching was just as bad, if not worse. It's large door was gapping open, like a giant ugly mouth waiting to engulf them as they travelled towards it. The door was large enough to have several sets of tracks leading inside. The inside just looked like a large and mostly empty metal building, with train tracks leading to buffers at the far end of the wall. A few more engines were haphazardly left inside, and the walls appeared crumpled in places and Schemer noticed that they too were corroded in places. The engine slowly chugged inside and was beginning to come to a stop. The tin panelled roof was missing sheets and the sky was visible through it, a few hanging lights hung from the ceiling. A few had crashed to the ground and lay in fragments. The walls were also littered with graffiti and more signs of vandals. But the place was completely deserted. The only other distinguishing feature was a very old, above ground propane tank sitting off in a far corner. It's top had been completely rusted through but Schemer couldn't tell if it was empty or not.

Schemer's heart felt like it was going to burst in his chest as the train jerked to a stop. He had no idea of what he was going to do. There was no one around to help him so he'd have to think of something fast. He slid down the side of the engine as gracefully as he could manage, which wasn't saying much, given his sense of balance. He ended up on his backside with a small groan. But the engine door started opening just to the left of where he was lying, and he quickly moved to the back of the engine. He just barely avoided being seen and watched as Paul lead Stacy forcefully through the door. He grit his teeth in anger as he peered around the corner of the engine.

"Well Jones, what do you think?" Paul asked mockingly. "He may have given you your train station, but I can give you an entire train yard!" He gave a mocking bow with a fake air of grandeur.

"You could give me the the entire Indian Valley and I'd still think you were scum of the Earth." She said coolly.

He threw an arm around her. "Now, now. Don't be like that, my dear. We'll be spending an awful lot of time together. Better cut the attitude, hmmm?" He said suggestively, while holding his gun in his hand.

"You'll be caught. You don't steal a train and just walk away! Besides, I would never spend any time with you." She spat angrily.

"Oh come on now. You don't think I've gotten out of sticky situations before? Don't worry, you won't be lonely. I hear Stockholm is very nice this time of year." He smirked down at her.

She snarled at the reference. "I'd rather be dead!" She slapped him hard across the face.

He stumbled backwards and hit the back of the wall. He slid down the wall to the floor with a smack. Snarling like a wild beast, he had his gun out.

"You'll regret that!" He shouted as he started to get to his feet. He had his gun raised and was reaching behind him with the other to help himself back up.

Schemer jumped out from behind the shadow of the engine with an equally enraged snarl. "NO!" He bellowed.

Everything happened in slow motion. Paul's eyes widened in shock, the hand that he was using to pull himself up accidentally grabbed onto a lever on the wall. Without realizing, he yanked it down. A buzzing noise filled the building and the lights started to turn on. The ones that had fallen had just left wires hanging from the ceiling, they immediately started emitting sparks. The few that were still hanging all began to glow brightly at the sudden influx of power. But, they were unable to handle the surge and all seemed to burst at once, showering the room with shards of glass and sparks. Stacy turned around to look at who had caused the disturbance. Their eyes met for the briefest moment.

Sparks fell into the rusted open propane tank. Unfortunately, it wasn't as empty as it had appeared. It burst with a loud explosion and shot flames in all directions. Schemer watched in horror as Stacy, and Paul as well, stood beyond the safety of the engine. The blast knocked both of them clear off their feet and they hit the ground hard. Schemer was luckier. He still felt the blast but the engine took most of the impact. The sudden heat and power caused the sparking lights to emit their own small flames, and soon the room was alight with several different fires. The propane tank was belching black smoke which was quickly filling the room.

Schemer rushed forward and ran to Stacy. The smoke was stinging his eyes and sparks were landing everywhere, searing through parts of his clothes. But he didn't care, he had to make sure she was alright. He had to get her out of here! He reached her and knelt by her side. He gently lifted her head and felt her neck carefully. It seemed fine, lowering an ear to her chest, he could hear her heartbeat over his own, despite the fact that it was pounding loudly. He gave a sign of relief, and picked her up gingerly. The smoke was heavy and very quickly obscuring his vision but he could still see where the door was. He carried her as quickly as he dared, fearing the building would collapse before he got her out. Finally, he reached the outside, but didn't stop until he had carried her far from the burning building. He found a grassy area, well removed from the burning building, and laid her down carefully. She was still unconscious but she was breathing. He looked down longingly at her, wishing she'd wake up so they could be reunited.

He looked back to the burning building and then back to her. He knew that Paul was unconscious in there somewhere, and a not so small part of him decided that he was only getting what he deserved. But another part of him felt remorse, and realized that no one, not even Paul, deserved such a fate. Even if he was to blame. With a growl of frustration, he looked back to Stacy and back to the burning building.

He breathed heavily and gathered his resolve. He knew what he had to do. He knew what Stacy would've wanted him to do. "Mr. Conductor!" He shouted.

The familiar whistle blew and the new Mr. Conductor appeared. "I'm sorry Schemer, I was busy helping everyone on the cars. They've just been rescued." He explained.

"Stay here and take care of Stacy, I'll be back soon." Schemer said with determination. Hopefully, his mind added.

"Where are you going?" Mr. Conductor asked worriedly.

Schemer didn't answer, instead he charged back towards the burning building, with his plaid jacket billowing in the wind, completely ignoring Mr. Conductor's warnings.

* * *

The smoke was worse than before, and as soon as he entered the building he started to choke. It was now black and thick, presumably from all the residual burning diesel and oil hanging around. He raised his jacket to his mouth, coughing as he went. He blindly stumbled to the back where he knew Paul to be. It wasn't that far, but in this burning building it was far enough. He squinted in the toxic smoke, trying to keep himself as low to the ground as possible. He could just make out the engine they rode in, and it too was spewing black smoke, he steadied his resolve to get in and out as fast as possible. It meant that Paul was close by though. He moved to the front of the engine and looked to the place on the ground where Paul lay.

... Or used to be laying anyways.

He scanned the ground, wondering if he was in the wrong spot. But when a body tackled him to the ground from behind, he understood immediately. He tried to roll onto his back so that he could kick off his assailant but he was easily pinned in his weakened state. He was involuntarily flipped over and forced to look Paul in the eyes.

"You." Was all Paul said, with a murderous look in his eyes and a tone of pure poison.

Schemer gave a growl and with a rush of adrenaline threw Paul off him. Paul was thrown to the side but managed to just catch his balance and land on his feet. Schemer quickly rolled to his knees, not allowing Paul the opportunity to catch him off guard a second time. The smoke was heavy and they both coughed as they breathed it in.

"Just give up Paul and we'll both get out alive." Schemer said angrily.

"Oh I plan on getting out alive, it's you that I'd like to see dead." Paul hissed back. "I saw you running back to come save me, I was already out of the building. I thought the girl was still back there, I was just going to leave her. But then you, you thorn in my side, decided to come back to play the hero. I couldn't resist. I followed you back in, and I'm going to make sure you don't come out. You're dead Schemer, I'm going to make sure of it this time. You can scheme your way out of this one!" He snarled dangerously, and launched himself at Schemer a second time.

This time, Schemer was ready for him and sidestepped him. Paul only caught him by his jacket and they both crashed to the floor. They rolled around, each trying to get the upper hand, while the building continued to burn. The walls groaned as they strained to stay up. Years of being neglected meant that they were already severely weakened. Schemer picked up on this and was momentarily distracted by the way the walls seemed to sway. Paul used this to his advantage and pinned him once more, his hands wrapped around Schemer's throat.

"Paul." He chocked out. "We have to get out. It's going to collapse." Schemer gasped angrily. His hands tried to pulled Paul's off. He managed to shift them slightly but the smoke was chocking him enough that it didn't matter. He gasped but that only made him swallow the smoke faster. With one final burst of energy, he threw Paul off him a second time. This time though, he didn't have the energy to get back up. His eyes and lungs were burning, and the heat from the fire was preventing him doing anything. Paul seemed to struggling as well, he was on his hands and knees, gasping as well.

The walls groaned in protest, Schemer knew it wouldn't be much longer. But he just couldn't will his legs and arms to obey, they had been deprived of too much oxygen. Paul approached him and he could only eye him warily. A metal rail peg was held in one hand. Schemer looked up at him with a fearless expression. Paul was enraged to see that Schemer looked up at him with so much bravery, and even pity shone through his eyes.

"You're worthless life may keep going, but just know that mine has been far richer than your's could ever be." Schemer managed to say with a small smirk.

Paul narrowed his eyes and brought the peg down heavily. But he wasn't aiming for Schemer himself, instead he drove it through the fabric of his jacket, essentially nailing him into the ground. He wordlessly walked away and disappeared in a black haze of smoke.

This was it. He knew he was going to die here, from water to fire he had faced death twice in the past couple of weeks. But this time, this time was different. This time everyone was safe, and it was partially thanks to him. Schemee had been rescued from the original would-be crash. Next, the combined effort of himself, Billy, Midge and Ginny had saved the train full of passengers. Finally, Stacy was safe. Mr. Conductor would protect her from anything before emergency crews arrived. There was no way Paul wouldn't be caught. He had lost his gun in the struggle and had no one to help him. Schemer was at peace, but he just hoped death would be quick. After what felt like hours, but probably only took seconds, his head was light and he could no longer think straight. The sound of parts of the roof falling through was barely registering with him. He had no energy to do more than gently grip the peg. He stared upwards, trapped in the blackness, his eyes streaming from the heat and smoke. He slowly blinked his eyes, and shut for a moment longer than he intended. He felt himself slipping away, quietly.

Suddenly, the sound of a train whistle snapped him back. He could barely make out voices but felt a small tug from beside him. Someone's hands were on his chest. Was this some sort of angel of death coming to carry him on?

His eyes opened and slowly came into focus. There indeed was an angel in front of him... Kind of.

Stacy Jones' face peered down at him, soot was smeared across one cheek, and one of her hands held the peg that had previously trapped him. Her mouth was moving but he couldn't quite hear her. He closed his eyes once more and opened them quickly, trying to convince himself to come back to full consciousness.

"... to go!" He barely heard her even though he registered that she was shouting worriedly. Her face had concern written all over it. She slapped his face hard enough to bring him back.

"Schemer, you've got to get up! We have to go!" She shouted with tears streaming down her face. Her hands gripped his jacket tightly. The smoke had cleared a little bit through the new holes in the ceiling and he could see her slightly better. And then, all at once, it was like he was suddenly drawn back into consciousness. He registered the fact that they were in fact in a burning building. A building that was on the very verge of collapsing. He jumped to his feet, despite having no energy. He was moving on resolve alone and grabbed her hand. Together they ran, just as the building began to fall apart, piece by piece. More pieces of roof fell through and one of the walls was slanting inwards. He could see that the door was crooked and was slowly shifting with the building. He ran harder than he ever had in his life, never letting go of her hand.

They ran out the front of the building just in time to hear the whole thing come down behind them. Smoke was still billowing out of the smouldering wreckage and small explosions were heard from inside, indicating the engine had finally reached it's end. Still they ran, despite having absolutely nothing left except for each other's presence. They ran until they reached the grassy area and until they could run no further. Collapsing to their knees, they hit the cool grass. Schemer felt it against his hot cheek. His lungs were searing and breathing felt difficult. Despite the fact that the smoke was gone, it was difficult. They still remained hand in hand, and were both lying belly down on the grass. They were facing each other though. Looking into each other's eyes, they simultaneously lost consciousness, the sound of a helicopter filling their ears as they shut their eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 - The End

Notes: Wow, this has been a long journey and a long time coming. I'm so proud of what this story became and how the edits affected the final story. If you haven't gone back and re-read them, please do, they're much better than the original :) Plus I added in some new content and scenes so you might still have new material to read before this chapter! As for this chapter, it took so long because I had absolutely no idea how I wanted to go about the beginning of the end. But now that it's written, I can say that I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

I also want to thank all my faithful readers for taking this journey with me. It means a lot that I could share this fandom with others who appreciated it as much as I do. I hope you'll keep writing your stories and sharing your ideas. And I'm going to do my best to keep this fanfiction category alive. I have more ideas, and I need to revamp my entire profile, so I might be adding in a poll of something to that effect to see where people might want my stories to go.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy and if you could take the time to leave a review I will appreciate it even more than I usually do!

* * *

Paul stumbled through the dense bush, clutching his arm to his chest. He had escaped the burning building and ran for the forest that nearly surrounded the old train yard. He tripped over a low lying branch and hit the ground hard. Growling, he scrambled back to his feet and willed himself onwards. Everything had been ruined, he had blown his chance of accomplishing his original goal. Now the only thought that filled his mind was escaping without being captured. He swore that he would make it his life's mission to make the town of Shining Time pay if he could ever escape his pursuers.

The sounds of a helicopter filled his ears and he ran for cover. But it was no use, he was too injured from his fight with that idiot Schemer, and there was no chance of him escaping. The roar of the blades piercing the air was deafening now, and he could see the copper hovering immediately overhead. He didn't even have his gun anymore, as it had been lost in the fight, and had no way of fighting back.

"Paul, we've got you surrounded, put your hands in the air where we can see them!" Boomed a voice from the helicopter overhead, magnified to a much louder volume by a megaphone.

This was the end of this journey. He sighed angrily and raised his hands. Immediately a swarm of police officers surrounded him with their guns drawn. One walked forward to hand cuff him and read him his Miranda rights. He just rolled his eyes and let them detain him, before leading him to the helicopter which had now landed in a clearing adjacent to their location.

He was too tired, and too sore, to bother thinking about much of anything regarding his future revenge. He supposed he'd think of something soon. At least he could rest knowing that he had taken care of the moron...

"Hey Bob, the other team just radioed us. They found the girl that was taken hostage, and guess who was with her! That missing guy from the arcade, alive!" One police officer, holding a handheld radio, shouted to another.

Paul let the information sink in and opened his eyes wide as he processed it. Trembling with fury he clamped his hands into fists within the handcuffs. Just as he let out a terrible curse word, the police slammed the door to the helicopter shut.

The helicopter took off, taking the plague that had menaced Shining Time far away with it. They were not to see the likes of him ever again in their fair town.

* * *

Schemee awoke with a pounding feeling in his head. He shakily raised his head and looked around. As his mind became less fuzzy, it began to register with him that he was in Billy's office. But how did he get there? Last thing he remembered was being attacked by Paul and his goons... What the heck could have happened between now and then?

His heart gave a leap, was everyone else okay? Clearly Paul had a vendetta against all of them now. He jumped to his feet and rushed towards the door. He could hear voices coming from just outside the Station and he slowly crept towards the sounds. He gave a sigh of relief when he realized it was just his friends' voices. At least they were safe, although they sounded concerned and worried.

"Don't worry Dan, everything will be okay. For everybody, your aunt included." He heard Becky say with a comforting tone.

"But we're the only ones still here! How can everyone be taken hostage and manage to be okay?" Dan asked, with panic in his voice.

"Dan, trust us, he can't do anything to anyone else. He can't do what he did to-" Kara began to say but Schemee decided to reveal himself at that moment.

"My Uncle?" Schemee finished coolly for her.

They all looked up with shock on their faces. "Schemee! Where have you been?" Kara asked worriedly.

He shrugged, "I was attacked, by Paul and his thugs, but I woke up in Billy's office and I have no idea what happened between them knocking me out and now. What's going on though, where is everyone?"

Becky sighed. "He... Paul took the train full of everyone and we don't know what's happening to them." She said as tears began to form in her eyes.

"My Aunt Stacy too... And Billy..." Dan said mournfully.

Schemee looked at him with sympathy. "I know what it's like to feel helpless, we all do." He said softly. "But right now we have to be strong. I know we did all we could, and right now we might be the only ones protecting the Station and the rest of the townspeople. We're the few people currently in town that know the truth about Paul. And we have to protect that information so that we can tell the police when they come back." He said solemnly.

"Dan!" A voice called worriedly from around the corner.

"Mom?" Dan asked as his mother, one of Stacy's sisters, rounded the corner. She pulled him in a tight hug. "Oh thank goodness, you're alright!" She said while golding him tight. "That goes for all of you."

"Mom, what's happened, what's going on?" He asked anxiously.

She gave a sigh of relief. "Well I've just been told by police, everyone was saved. They haven't given too many details about who did what or who is responsible. But everyone, even Stacy, is safe and sound. She's just going to have to be treated at the hospital but it's nothing life threatening."

The teens felt like a weight had been lifted off of their shoulders. Thing could finally go back to normal. Well, sort of. Schemee gave them a sad smile.

"I'm glad she's okay." He said sincerely.

Dan looked at him with sympathy. "Schemee, I'm so sorry." He said sincerely.

"It's okay... I think I just need to go take some time for myself and be alone for a bit." He responded while looking at the ground. "I'll call you guys in a few days." Without another word he turned on his heel and walked away.

* * *

Schemer opened his eyes, blinking in the bright light. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was passing out on the grass... In a flash the memories returned to him; him and Stacy, the break-up, the Christmas party, Schemee's face as he left him at his Uncle's house, the docks, Mr. Conductor, the return, the train, the fire...

He sat up straight, looking around wildly. He last remembered looking into Stacy's eyes. Shouldn't she be here, wherever this place was?

The scenery was the same, very bright and almost foggy. There was no landscape, just a solid surface that he was standing on, also obscured by the weird fog-like substance. For a minute he was worried it was more smoke from the fire and explosion, but this substance seemed harmless as it gently brushed past his face. Almost like being in a cloud. With a sinking feeling, he realized where he was. Or what he was, rather.

This was Death. It had to be.

He closed his eyes with a sigh. He was really hoping, that he could have made it out of this one. But apparently it was one too many to hope for. Opening his eyes again, he saw a figure forming through the mist. He straightened his back, ready to face whoever, or whatever, was coming to retrieve him.

"Show yourself!" He demanded. He had been toyed around with enough in the last few weeks to have any patience. If this being had malevolent intentions, he was ready to face them with his newfound bravery.

"Hold your horses, it's not like you have anywhere to be in a hurry." A familiar female voice called back.

He frowned as he placed the voice. It had been years since he'd heard it, but he'd remember it anywhere.

"Julia?" He questioned hopefully.

She materialized into a corporeal form, and gave him a warm smile. The familiar dark curly hair and dark brown eyes were easily recognizable. She looked as young as the day she died. No, slightly younger, and more cheerful for that matter. In all, she looked at peace. "Hello little brother." She greeted.

He felt his eyes lit up and he eagerly wrapped his arms around her neck in a fierce hug. She hugged him back with an equally strong grip.

"You've done so well." She said pridefully, her eyes squeezed shut. "I'm so proud of you."

They released and he looked at her with emotion-filled eyes. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." She reciprocated, stroking his cheek with one hand. "Looks like you've outgrown me, you look so mature. Sorry I wasn't able to see you grow up in person. And my baby boy as well."

He looked at her solemnly. "If we're here together, I suppose this means that I'm," he paused with a regretful look, "dead?"

She smiled again. "It might have, if you weren't so darn lucky all the time."

He gave her a puzzled expression. "But how can I see you like this? You're as real and solid as I am."

"Horace, this is all in your mind. You could be physically anywhere between being picked up by the air ambulance to being already checked into the hospital. Time has no measure here. As for where this is, this is some sort of limbo. I'm here to check up on you, because I'm always looking out for you. Your mind was calling to me, and I answered. It's hard to explain, but basically you're having an out of body experience of sorts. Except you can't see what's happening to your physical body." She explained gently.

"I have a feeling I won't understand know matter what." He confessed. "But that doesn't change the point that I'm not dead, yet here I am talking to you."

"Anyone who comes here is pretty much at a fork in the road. You're here to make a conscious decision about what to do with yourself. Your body is weakened, and needs some serious help, however, it's currently being treated and has the capability to make a full recovery. You're here because you can choose to return to your body, despite the pain of going back and making the recovery. Or on the opposite side, you can choose to move on to the other side. In which case all your physical suffering would disappear." She said, looking at him intently.

He looked up thoughtfully. "It's my choice... Does everyone have to make this sort of decision?"

"No, only a fortunate few. I did not because I died almost instantaneously. And there was no hope of my body recovering. Your body, however, can still house you."

He made a "hmmm"-ing noise to himself. He could felt very strong right now, invincible even. And she was right, there was no pain whatsoever that he could feel. He was refreshed, rested, and strong. The last time he was in his body he felt severely weakened and injured. But, there was no way he could move on. He had come so far, helped so many people, yet he still hadn't been able to speak to some of the people who mattered most in his life. And he felt that living, and healing, would help him much more than moving on to his final resting place. He tried to imagine spending an eternity waiting for Schemee, Stacy, and Billy, and he really couldn't picture it. And letting them down by dying, for real this time, and depriving them of his presence? He wouldn't dream of it. Besides, what would happen if Stacy met someone else and he had to spend an eternity watching and regretting that it could have been him? How could he watch all Schemee's major life moments from wherever he was? He wouldn't be able to banter with Billy about the Arcade, and life in general. No, things were definitely going to be different than before this whole ordeal after he returned, but it was better than spending forever wondering what could have been.

He shook his head with a smile. "I have to go back, there's no question."

She smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. You've been lucky enough to manage to survive to this point."

"You don't want to see me?" He asked jokingly.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm so happy we were able to talk. We didn't part on the best of terms, and it's a regret I've carried on with me." She pulled him into another hug. "I can't thank you enough, you've been so good for my boy."

"I'm happy we could talk too. It's something I've regretted for a very long time." He confessed. "And no problem, there's nothing I wouldn't do for him."

"I know, I've seen. And as good as you've been for him, I feel like he's been just as good for you. I've never seen a more entertaining and happy duo. Also, your lady friend seems perfect for you. I hope you can work it out with her, although I don't see how it wouldn't work out. Women go crazy for a hero." She said with a wicked grin, one that matched his usual one to an art.

He blushed and looked away, "Yeah I guess we'll see."

"Well, I guess this is it." She said with a sad smile.

"Yes, until we meet again." He responded hopefully. "Wait, will I remember this?"

"No, unfortunately you won't." She said knowingly. "But somehow, I think you'll subconsciously know that everything is fine between us. And no offense, but I hope that I don't see you for a long time." They gave each other identical smirks.

"Love you Julia."

"Love you too little brother."

* * *

Gasping for air, he sat straight up. He had a distant memory of a dream on his mind, something about fog? His body felt very sore, and he was very aware of lots of tubes poking into him. There was a breathing tube connected to his nose, and an IV injected into his arm. The smell of antibiotics and harsh cleaners met his nose, and he realized that he was in a hospital. Letting himself fall back down onto the pillow, he gave a sad sigh, wishing someone could be there with him. He felt quite alone in this empty room.

Closing his eyes, the memories of the past two weeks weighed heavily on his mind. Was everyone okay? Would he be okay? It was a crazy and wild ride, that was for sure. And he hoped it was over. The sound of a door opening came from around the curtain that surrounded his bed, his ears perked up hopefully as footsteps lead around the side of the bed.

"You really need to stop getting into so much trouble." The man who rounded the corner said to him.

Schemer groaned in frustration. "You again?"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Yes, me again. I'm considered next of kin whether you like it or not."

Schemer gave an annoyed huff, "Fine. Could you at least help me figure out when I'm going to get out of here, and how my friends are doing? And who knows that I'm alive, I need to see a few people as soon as possible."

"Pretty much everyone knows you're alive. Your friends are fine, except the girl who was with you is still recovering. You've both been in here a full day and she hasn't woken up yet." He explained.

"Stacy? Is she okay?" He asked worriedly. He really wanted to see her, but he was still reeling from the shock of having survived everything. It was hard to believe that he was back in Shining Time Station finally, safe and sound. He needed to check up with so many people, and make sure they were all okay, but he also needed some time to figure out what to say to Stacy.

"She's going to be fine, just needs to continue resting. There's, ah, one person who is conscious hasn't been informed of the news though." Jasper explained gently as he sat down in the chair beside Schemer's bed.

"Oh no, where is he?" Schemer asked worriedly.

"Well... we're not one hundred percent sure..." Jasper trailed off.

"WHAT?!" Schemer bellowed. "You let my nephew just go off on his own? What if he got into trouble or was hurt?" He was enraged, apparently no one could keep the peace when he wasn't around.

Jasper looked at him in an impressed way. "He's safe, don't worry. He just told Allcott that he was leaving immediately after he was found in the engineer's office at the Station. No one's really sure where, but he didn't want to talk to anyone. He contacted his friends to say that he needed to be alone and let them know he was safe this morning.

Schemer breathed heavily. "I have to go to him. He's like a son to me, I need to make sure he knows I'm okay and that I can see for myself that he's okay. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him." He said in a pained way.

Jasper regarded him, and for a minute, they felt an understanding between the two of them. It was unspoken, but powerful. Jasper nodded, "Let's see about getting you discharged. Do you have an idea of where he might be?"

Schemer nodded back. "I think so."

* * *

Schemee sat in the storage room around the back of Shining Time Station and sighed. He was sitting with his knees folded to his chest and his head resting on him. After all that had happened, now was his time to properly mourn. And now that everything was settled he felt worse than he did before. The aftermath of Paul's capture had brought him little joy in the end. He was happy that he had helped remove the terrible man from the public, but it didn't really fix anything. His Uncle was still gone, and Paul's capture wasn't going to change that.

He looked around at all his Uncle's old equipment in the unit, and wondered about what would happen to them now. All of the sudden he heard footsteps around the outside of the unit and looked towards the door sharply. It was open a crack and he peered outside. A familiar looking profile walked by and his heart gave a leap. It couldn't be, it was impossible and it had to be just his mind playing tricks on him. Nonetheless, he threw open the door.

"Hey! Wait!" Schemee called to the back of the retreating figure.

The man turned around with a raised eyebrow. Though very similar in appearance, he was not his Uncle. Disappointment flooded through him and his smile faded from his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were... someone else." He said sullenly.

"That's alright son." The man said comfortingly. Even the voice sounded similar. It was too eerie.

Schemee frowned, though he appeared more aged, this man looked almost identical to, "Allcott!" He suddenly shouted, eyes wide. "Oh no, I completely forgot... He must be beside himself!" He said, talking more to himself than the man.

The man gave a sympathetic chuckle. "Knowing my brother, probably."

Schemee looked up suddenly. "If you're Allcott's brother, then you must be..." His eyes widened as he recognized the man to be his grandfather.

"That's right. My name is Jasper, I'm your mother and uncle's father. You must be Jonathan." He said.

Schemee couldn't believe it. He had met quite a few family members that he hadn't even knew existed in the past few weeks. And lost one... He felt a pang in his chest and realized why he was probably here. "Oh... Well, I... I guess you've heard everything." He said sadly.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Almost everything anyways. I have a different side of the story, I guess you can say." He moved his head towards a nearby bench outside the station. "Let's go sit down for a moment."

Schemee followed him numbly to the bench outside the Station.

"So I'm led to believe that you're behind a lot of this." He suggested.

Schemee gave a mirthless laugh. "I am, well, was. But now what?" He asked painfully. "It's not going to bring him back."

Jasper nodded understandingly. "It's always hard to say what happens now, no one ever plans for things like this. But I know you're upset and feeling alone. You did an incredible thing. And to say that you cared so much about someone to risk your life, even after they're gone, says a lot about your character. It hurts bad, I know, but that's only because you care so much."

Schemee felt his lip tremble. "I don't want to be alone. My father died before I was born, my mother died when I was young, and now him." He choked back a sob. "He was the only person I had for a long time. I can't even imagine what life will be like without him." He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, fighting back tears.

"No matter where he is, I know he's proud of you." Schemee never noticed Jasper look over his shoulder to nod at a previously concealed person.

Schemee opened his mouth to speak but someone cut him off.

"From what I've heard through the grapevine, not only were you involved in this, you were behind everything. Rallying everyone, standing up to dangerous criminals, defending my good name and honour. It all kind of hurts my head and makes my heart nearly burst with worry. With that, I can also say that you're stubborn, impulsive, and reckless but at the same time brave, loyal and big hearted. So while I confess that you scare the heck out of me and worry me to the point of losing my precious hair, I can say that I have never been prouder of you than I am right now."

The monologue made Schemee freeze stiller than a statue. His mind could barely even comprehend what was going on and it just sort of froze with him. He slowly raised his head and turned around. Schemer stood there, looking the exact same as the day he last saw him at Allcott's house, and gave him a knowing look.

"Now do you have anything to say for yourself?" He asked with mock seriousness.

Schemee just gaped at him. A few minutes passed while everything that had been said registered in his mind. Narrowing his eyes, with an incredulous look on his face, he finally said, "You're a dead man walking and you're asking if I have anything to say for myself? Seriously?"

"I believe that's what I asked, yes." Schemer said with a look of complete innocence and passiveness.

Without warning, Schemee had thrown himself at his Uncle and had wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"Oof, watch it, I've been slightly mishandled for the last little while." But he said it in a good natured manner and hugged him close.

Schemee shook with silent tears, "Never do that to me again!" He demanded and took a step back to look at his Uncle. "That isn't fair!" He fell to his knees in shock.

Schemer kneeled in front of him, and placed both hands on his nephew's shoulders. Looking him directly in the eye, "I promise you, I will never leave you again. Ever. No one will ever be able to separate us like that again." He said in a low, serious voice. He cracked a smile as an afterthought, "Trust me, not even some jerk like Paul can stop me."

Schemee smiled back, looking relieved and anxious at the same time. "How did you ever survive?" He asked.

Schemer rose to his feet and offered his nephew his hand to help him up. "I'll tell you all about it, why don't you meet me at the Station?"

Schemee accepted his hand and began to walk towards the front entrance, however he turned to look as his Uncle and Jasper were left by themselves.

Schemer turned towards Jasper who had been watching their exchange with interest. He cleared his throat and approached his father. Without a word, Schemer extended his hand towards him.

Jasper looked at him curiously. "Look Horace, are you sure?" He asked cautiously.

"I have to thank you, for a lot of things." Schemer explained. "I may not be able to forget somethings, maybe not ever. But I can at least forgive you."

Jasper looked away with shame in his eyes. "Maybe one day I'll be able to forgive myself." He said sullenly, but accepted his son's hand anyways.

Schemee looked on with curiousness etched on his face. Their relationship seemed strained at best, but he knew that this had to be a big moment for them. He turned and walked slowly until his Uncle caught up to him.

"It's been a wild ride." Schemer said as he fell into step with his nephew, placing a hand on his nephew's back.

Schemee shook his head with disbelief. "Absolutely crazy." He agreed.

* * *

Stacy groaned as the light filtered through her tightly shut eyelids. Her head was killing her, and the muggy room made the sheets touching her skin feel uncomfortable. She had just woken up from the strangest dream, or was it a nightmare? Either way, it made her heart feel constricted. It all seemed so real, seeing him, Paul controlling the engine like a maniac, all her friends almost dying...

She rubbed her eyes with her hands and sat up. "Oh, you're awake!" A familiar voice exclaimed.

"Huh? Billy? What are you doing in my bedroom?" She asked, annoyed. Tugging her bedsheets up to her neck she glared in the direction of his voice, blinking to adjust to the bright light.

"Well, I highly doubt this is your bedroom, not that I've ever seen your bedroom." He said in an amused voice.

Looking around, and squinting in the light, she realized that he was right. And the brightness was equally from the painted white walls, bright overhead lights, and natural light coming in through the window. "A hospital?" She asked, her eyes widening. "Goodness Billy, what happened? And do my family know?"

"Yes, they know. We've been alternating keeping watch over you." He explained. "And do you remember anything?"

She tried thinking hard about what put her there. All that came to mind was her dream, which was just impossible, as sorry as it made her feel. "I'm sorry, I just don't remember what happened."

"Well, Paul almost crashed two trains into each other. But when that failed due to, uh, someone's ingenious plan, he decided to take the loaded passenger train and then destroy it himself." Billy looked at her seriously. "He took you hostage Stacy."

Her eyes widened. "I know that part... I somehow remember it through a dream, but I also remember some very impossible things happening in that dream..." She trailed off wistfully.

"Why don't you tell me about them?" He offered.

She gave a humourless laugh. "I'd rather not, to be honest. Sorry Billy, you'll think I'm losing my mind."

He gave a knowing smile. "You'd be surprised. Trust me, I'd believe almost anything after the events of the past few days."

She looked down at her hands thoughtfully and frowned. He was being oddly mysterious, what was up?

"Billy," She started slowly, "Is there anything you're not telling me?"

He gave her an enigmatic look, "Nothing you wouldn't already know." He said carefully.

She darted her eyes to her neatly folded change of fresh clothes, her typical red skirt and white blouse. "I need to get out of here, can you leave while I change? And maybe see about getting me discharged?" She asked suddenly.

"Absolutely." He agreed, as he left there was a large smile on his face. No need to shock the poor girl after just waking up, after all. It was better to let her come to her own conclusions. He organized the discharge with the nurses station, and they agreed to let her go after checking her out once more. As they entered her room, he went to find a payphone. Dialing the Station's number, he was happy when he heard Schemee's voice on the other end.

"Schemee? Are you there with... Okay, good. Can you let him know that Stacy is on her way? Thanks."

* * *

Schemer and Schemee had been in the midst of their conversation inside Billy's office when they received Billy's phone call. After Schemee hung up, Schemer looked at him expectantly.

"What did Billy say?" He asked.

"He said that Stacy is on her way, and that he wanted me to let you know." Schemee explained carefully.

Schemer paled, if it were possible to do so further with his still pale complexion. "Here? She probably wants to figure things out and see for herself." He trailed off in a strangled voice.

Schemee looked at his Uncle with a mixture of confusion and pity. "Look, I know what happened between you. Well, kind of. I know you two dated, got into trouble, and called it quits. But I also know that she was completely heartbroken over your death, I have never seen her so broken up about anything." He swallowed, recalling the struggles that the three of them faced together. "You saved her, in more ways than one on that train the other day."

Schemer gave a sigh. "I just don't know what's going to happen next. And that scares me, I was already so hurt about our falling out and I still don't think I could work alongside her if all we're meant to do is become friends."

Schemee rolled his eyes. "I'm going to conveniently leave the office as she comes in, and you're going to greet her. Gently, of course. Don't scare the living daylights out of her. And then the two of you are going to make up and everyone can go back to being happy again! Okay?" Schemee said, a little more intensely than he had intended.

Schemer was taken aback by his nephew's new take charge attitude. "Okay." Was all he could say.

Schemee smiled. "Good, after that I'm going to be at home cleaning up a bit. Come and find me whenever you're done doing whatever you're doing." He said in a sweetly sounding voice.

Schemer blushed furiously. "Stop it, we'll finish talking afterwards." He grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest and turning away.

Schemee laughed at his Uncle's discomfort. "Okay, fine, we need to finish swapping stories anyways. Actually, come to think of it, maybe I'll just leave now and leave you to it yourself." He said in a sing-song voice and darted out of the office.

"No! Schemee, you get back here!" Schemer hissed. He gave chase after his nephew, and they both ended up outside the Station.

"It's okay Uncle Schemer," Schemee said as they both rounded the corner of the front of the Station, "She just entered the empty Station now. That means it's your turn to go speak to her. Now stop being afraid, trust me when I say nothing bad will happen." Schemee told his Uncle, looking sincerely up at him.

Schemer looked at him hard for a moment, before giving a resigned sigh. "Okay, fine. But only because I trust you."

* * *

Stacy entered the Station in a power walk. She was being crazy, thinking that she could expect to see a certain someone here. Living, breathing. But that dream had seemed so real... Could it have actually happened? She tentatively walked into the middle of the floor, "Hello?" She called.

No answer met her ears. She took a quick look in Billy's office and Paul's, former, office. Nothing. Not a person in sight. She suddenly felt angry. Angry at Billy for making her think that maybe, just maybe, the impossible could have happened. Angry at Schemer for leaving her and haunting her dreams. And above all, angry at herself for letting herself have hope for such impossible things. Her frustration disappeared quickly as she looked around her Station, and it was quickly replaced with a heavy sorrow. This Station hadn't been worth the cost of Schemer or Mr. Conductor. And what she wouldn't give to hear one of Mr. Conductor's stories again, or to see one of Schemer's usual antics.

She gave a sad sigh and placed both elbows down on the ticket booth in the middle of the station, and rested her head on her hands. It was all just a dream. A vivid dream, and one that left her with no memory of what actually happened, but a dream nonetheless. Several tears dripped from her eyes and dropped onto the booth, she sniffled and chocked back a sob. Hadn't she ran out of tears yet?

She heard footsteps behind her, quiet and hesitant sounding. "I'm sorry, we're closed." She said weakly. She really couldn't deal with anybody right now.

The footsteps came closer to her and she couldn't bother turning around, she just felt too melancholy. A gentle hand slid down her left shoulder to grip her elbow. She assumed it was one of her sisters or nephews, because no one would unwittingly touch her like that. She opened her eyes and lifted her head straighter, not looking behind her. She looked down involuntarily, and her heart gave a leap. The gentle grip on her elbow belonged to a hand and arm, clad in a familiar plaid print.

She whimpered and shook her head as tears threatened to spill again. She squeezed her eyes shut and the owner of the hand slid his other one around her waist and slid the first one forward to grab her left hand. At this point she was shaking from the tears that were falling from her eyes. The set of arms wrapped themselves tightly around her, the left one still gripping her left hand tightly as if it would never let go.

She let herself go limp in his arms, and the tears freely fell complete with sobs. He held her up obediently and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"What would make it better?" He asked, his voice a quiet rumble in her ear.

The sobs subsided and she took a few gulps of air. "If you never let go." She whispered back.

He smiled and pressed his cheek against hers. "That can be arranged."

She gave the cross between a laugh and a sob and turned around to face him, still firmly held in his arms. They stood nose to nose, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other entangled in her hair holding her head close to his. She moved her hands from his chest to either side of his face. Closing both their eyes, they pulled each other in for a passionate and heartfelt kiss.

For that moment, all the pain of the past several weeks had been completely forgotten, and they could feel the love begin to heal their broken hearts back together as one. Breaking apart, their foreheads rested together and they stared into each other's eyes, taking in the beautiful site and feeling of finally being reunited and in each other's arms. There were no words to say to each other, their actions said enough.

* * *

Word got out, mostly via Midge Smooch, that Schemer was alive. And that he was one of the heros from the ordeal that had happened in the past few days. A group of familiars to the Station, and people just generally wanting to give their thanks, made their way to Shining Time Station. They had seen Billy walking in that direction and hoped the others would be there as well. With Midge and Ginny leading the way for a group of about thirty, they flooded through the doors and piled into the foyer of the Station.

Billy, Stacy, and, yes, even Schemer were talking around the ticket booth animatedly before the others had entered. It was like nothing had changed, and yet somehow everything had changed. They seemed closer, and that was saying something given their friendship beforehand, and they also seemed to have been emotionally sobered in a sense. But despite that, the air was buzzing with an unknown and unseen force, and it made everything feel almost like... magic.

The three looked up curiously as the crowd quietly filled into the Station. "What's all this?" Billy asked with amusement.

Without a word, a slow clap rose into a thunderous applause. Billy beamed, Stacy blushed, and Schemer looked smug, and for the first time in what felt like a long time, gave his crooked, trademark grin. Stacy linked her fingers between his and he pulled her into a kiss to help show off to the crowd. They whooped and catcalled, while Billy rolled his eyes with good nature.

The door opened once more and a figure stormed through the door to the front of the crowd. Mr. King had arrived at his flagship station and had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Mr. Schemer!" He boomed.

Schemer looked up curiously. "Yes, Mr. King?"

"There's been an opening recently within the railroad." He started and the crowd gave a collective laugh at the casualness of his comment.

"So there has been." Schemer said neutrally.

"Well, it's come to my attention that the only qualified, well actually the only other candidate period, for the position is in fact you." He explained.

Schemer rose his eyebrows slowly in shock. "So you mean?"

"Yes, I mean to say that I'm offering you the position of Co-Owner of the Indian Valley Railroad. And due to recent acts of valor, and pure guts, I can't see myself running this wonderful railway beside any other person. So what do you say?" He offered.

Schemer gave a sly grin, and looked sidelong at Stacy and Billy. The two exchanged faux worried glances with each other.

"Well Mr. King, when you put it that way... I can't imagine anyone doing a better job than me, either." He gave his trademark laugh. "Of course, I'll accept."

The crowd cheered once more and Mr. King's face broke into a smile. Schemer looked back towards Stacy and Billy.

"Looks like you both work for me now." He said mockingly.

"Oh don't get too full of yourself. You know we'll always be there to keep you in line." Billy said while clapping Schemer on the back.

"And we'll be there whenever you need our help." Stacy added, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up at him.

He smiled sincerely down at her. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."


End file.
